STWF SPORTS |BATON ROUGE, La. | November 3, 2026 – The LSU Tigers opened the 2026-27 men’s basketball season with a commanding performance Tuesday night, defeating the LSU New Orleans Privateers 100-57 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
In front of an announced crowd of 7,919, LSU celebrated head coach Will Wade’s return to the Tigers’ bench with a dominant showing built around interior scoring, defensive pressure and superior rebounding.
LSU (1-0) established control early and never relinquished its advantage, while LSU New Orleans (0-1) struggled offensively against the Tigers’ size and physicality.
LSU Establishes Early Control
The Tigers wasted little time setting the tone, racing to an 18-3 advantage before the first media timeout.
LSU consistently attacked the paint, using its size and athleticism to create high-percentage scoring opportunities.
The Privateers struggled to find an offensive rhythm, shooting just 18.5 percent from the field during the opening half.
By halftime, LSU had built a commanding 53-17 lead while controlling the interior with a 34-8 advantage in points in the paint.
The Tigers also established an eight-rebound advantage through the first 20 minutes, preventing LSU New Orleans from generating consistent second-chance opportunities.
Dent and Niang Power Tigers’ Offense
Donovan Dent delivered an impressive all-around performance, finishing with 19 points and 10 assists to lead LSU’s offense.
Dent’s ability to create opportunities for teammates helped the Tigers maintain offensive balance throughout the contest.
Saliou Niang provided another dominant performance, recording 14 points and 14 rebounds while adding six steals.
Michael Ruzic contributed 17 points on efficient 8-of-11 shooting, providing additional production off the bench.
Brice Dessert added 13 points, while Abdi Bashir Jr. finished with 11 and Mo Dioubate contributed 10.
Six LSU players reached double figures as the Tigers shot 51.3 percent from the field and recorded 24 assists.
Ortiz Provides Second-Half Spark for Privateers
Despite the difficult opening half, LSU New Orleans found encouraging individual performances after intermission.
Junior transfer Yohandry Ortiz led the Privateers with 16 points, including 14 in the second half.
Ortiz converted four field goals and seven free throws while adding five rebounds.
His energy and attacking mentality provided LSU New Orleans with an offensive boost during an otherwise challenging evening.
Kedrick Osby contributed eight points, while Marcus McDonald and Kahlil Singleton each added six.
Solomon Ominu led the Privateers with eight rebounds, providing physicality against LSU’s imposing frontcourt.
Freshman Alan Shi added five rebounds and three steals while scoring his first collegiate basket with approximately 12 minutes remaining.
Shi’s energy and effort helped extend several offensive possessions.
LSU Dominates Paint and Rebounding Battle
The final statistics illustrated LSU’s significant advantages in size and offensive efficiency.
The Tigers outrebounded LSU New Orleans 53-38 and controlled points in the paint by a decisive 60-20 margin.
LSU converted 39 of 76 field-goal attempts, while the Privateers finished 15-of-61, shooting just 24.6 percent.
Three-point shooting also proved difficult for LSU New Orleans, which connected on only four of 29 attempts.
The Privateers did generate 18 second-chance points and received 42 points from their bench, but those contributions were insufficient to overcome LSU’s overall production.
Eight LSU New Orleans players made their Division I debuts, gaining valuable experience against Southeastern Conference competition.
Privateers Turn Attention to Homecoming
Following the season-opening defeat, LSU New Orleans will return home to face Loyola in a Homecoming exhibition Saturday, November 7, at Lakefront Arena.
Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT, with coverage available on ESPN+ and Heaven 106.1 FM.
The matchup will feature head coach Stacy Hollowell facing his former program as the Privateers continue developing their rotation and building team chemistry.
STWF Sports Final Takeaway
Tuesday’s opener demonstrated LSU’s offensive depth, physicality and ability to control the paint under Wade’s leadership.
For LSU New Orleans, the result highlighted the challenges of competing against a larger, more experienced opponent.
However, Ortiz’s second-half production, Shi’s energy and the experience gained by the team’s newcomers provide areas for development.
The Privateers will look to improve their shooting efficiency, defensive rebounding and offensive execution as they prepare for the remainder of their nonconference schedule.
STWF Sports | NCAA Men’s Basketball Coverage | 2026–27 Season
