Fountain, KJ Williams double as LSU defeats NCCU, 67-57

Photo By: LSUsports.net

Da Boot Sports
12/13/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   ​BATON ROUGE – Derek Fountain and KJ Williams combined for 35 points and 16 rebounds as the LSU Tigers ran their record to 9-1 on the season with a 67-57 win over North Carolina Central University Tuesday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Fountain, a junior transfer from Mississippi State, had 17 points, 14 rebounds for his first college double double. He was 6-of-9 from the field, 5-of-9 from the free throw line with 1 assist, 2 blocks and a steal.

KJ Williams, the super senior who came in from Murray State, had 18 points, 12 rebounds in posting his 31st career college double double (fourth of the season), hitting 7-of-13 field goals, including his 100th career three-pointer, to go with 2 assists, 2 blocks and a steal.

Cam Hayes also had 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting with two treys to go with seven rebounds before leaving the game late in the second half with what Coach Matt McMahon called “cramps.”

The game had 10 lead changes in the early going as NCCU was shooting well and Fountain, who had a strong start on the boards that led to buckets and free throws, was keeping LSU even.

NCCU tied the game at 23-23 with 6:24 to go before KJ Williams dunked off an Adam Miller pass and then went to the free throw line for three makes after getting fouled on a distance attempt. Then it was Fountain and KJ Williams again that pushed the LSU lead to 32-23 with 3:52 to go in the first half.

The Tigers scored the last six of the half on three-pointers by Hayes and KJ Williams to make the LSU lead, 14, 40-26, at intermission.

The Eagles made a run to cut the game to four, 49-45, with 11:07 to play, but LSU was able to get the lead back to double figures for the 10-point victory.

Justin Wright scored 14 points to lead NCCU, while Brendan Medley-Bacon and Devin Butts had 10 points each. The Eagle shot 43.6 percent for the game (43.6%), making seven threes and 2-of-8 at the free throw line.

The Tigers shot 41.3 percent (26-of-63), but hit just 4-of-25 from the arc. The Tigers finished 11-of-18 at the line.

LSU had a 45-31 advantage in rebounds, including 15-4 on the offensive boards. LSU had a 38-26 advantage in points in the paint and 18-5 on second chance points.

​The Tigers are back in action on Saturday night at 6 p.m. against Winthrop. The game will be broadcast on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network and televised on the SEC Network. Tickets are available at LSUTix.net.
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The Matt McMahon Show on the LSU Sports Radio Network will be broadcast Wednesday night at 7 p.m. from TJ Ribs on Acadian Thruway. The broadcast will air on Eagle 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge.

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