GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) — KJ Williams scored 33 points and grabbed eight rebounds and LSU beat Illinois State 77-61 on Monday in the opening game of the Cayman Islands Classic.
LSU led 45-18 at the break for its largest halftime lead away from home since a 47-20 advantage at Tennessee on Feb. 14, 2015. Illinois State was just 1 of 13 from 3-point range in the first half with 10 turnovers.
Williams was 13-of-19 shooting, mostly in the paint, for his fourth highest scoring output of his career. His highest was 39 last February at Tennessee State.
Adam Miller added 13 points and Cam Hayes had 10 for LSU (4-0). The Tigers attempted 16 more free throws than Illinois State and outrebounded the Redbirds 35-25.
Darius Burford scored 17 points, Seneca Knight added 14 and Colton Sandage had 12 for Illinois State (2-3), which turned it over 19 times.
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