LSU's Marquel Sutton and Max Mackinnon led the charge as the Tigers defeated SMU 89-77 in the Compete 4 Cause Classic at the Smoothie King Center on December 13, 2025. Sutton's impressive performance included 23 points and 12 rebounds, marking his fifth double-double of the season. Mackinnon, on fire from beyond the arc, hit six 3-pointers and scored 22 points, missing just one of his nine shots. Dedan Thomas Jr. and Pablo Tamba also contributed significantly, with Thomas Jr. recording 16 points and a career-high 12 assists, and Tamba totaling 14 points and 10 rebounds.
For SMU, Boopie Miller, Jaron Pierre Jr., and Jaden Toombs each scored 16 points, while Samet Yigitoglu had a solid performance with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The game was close throughout, with LSU taking a 47-44 lead into halftime. In the second half, Mackinnon's 3-pointer and jumper kickstarted a 7-0 run, extending LSU's lead to 10 points and maintaining a comfortable three-possession lead over the final 16 minutes.
Despite the loss, SMU had recently beaten Texas A&M 93-80 and snapped an eight-game win streak with an 88-69 victory over No. 17 Vanderbilt. LSU, on the other hand, was on a winning streak of their own, having won their previous eight games until a setback against No. 19 Texas Tech. The Tigers will now host Southeastern Louisiana, while SMU will host Central Arkansas on December 21.
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