Daimion Collins had 18 points to lead a balanced scoring effort, Corey Chest added a double-double and LSU held off Florida Gulf Coast 80-71 on Sunday in Baton Rouge, La.

Chest had 12 points and 12 rebounds, Cam Carter and Jordan Sears scored 13 apiece and Dji Bailey added 11 points for the Tigers (8-1). LSU shot 50 percent from the floor and scored 21 points off 13 FGCU turnovers.

Rahmir Barno scored 15 points, Rory Stewart had 12 and Keeshawn Kellman had 11 points and 10 rebounds and for the Eagles (3-7). Dallion Johnson also scored 11.

Collins and Sears made consecutive 3-pointers to start the second-half scoring and expand LSU’s lead to 48-27.

Barno made a layup for the Eagles’ first points of the half and they trimmed the lead to 14 points. Vyctorius Miller and Chest combined for six straight fastbreak points as LSU increased the lead to 56-36.

Florida Gulf Coast got within 13 points twice before Collins converted a three-point play, Chest added a dunk and Collins made another basket to give the Tigers a 67-47 lead.

Zavian McLean’s basket pulled the Eagles within 14 points with 3:48 remaining, but it wasn’t enough. Darren Williams made three 3-pointers in the final 1:46 — his only nine points of the game — to pull the final margin to single digits.

Kellman and Johnson each made a field goal as Gulf Coast scored the first four points of the game.

Sears and Bailey each made a 3-pointer and Collins had consecutive baskets as LSU scored the next 10 points.

McLean made a 3-pointer to end the run, but the Tigers rebuilt the lead to eight points. A field goal by Barno cut the lead to 18-12 before Bailey and Carter each made a 3-pointer and Bailey added another field goal to push the lead to 26-12.

Florida Gulf Coast crept within nine points before Carter scored five points and Chest added four to help LSU expand the lead to 35-19 with 4:10 to play.

The Tigers led by 16 points on two more occasions before holding a 42-27 lead at halftime.

–Field Level Media