Rueben Chinyelu, No. 16 Florida dominate the glass to dispose of LSU

Field Level Media|published: Tue 20th January, 21:42 2026

Jan 20, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) posts up against Louisiana State Tigers forward Marquel Sutton (10) during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Rueben Chinyelu matched his career high with 21 rebounds and scored 15 points for his fourth consecutive double-double, and No. 16 Florida won for the ninth time in 10 games by defeating LSU 79-61 on Tuesday night in Gainesville, Fla.

Urban Klavzar contributed five triples and a game-high 18 points off the bench as Florida (14-5, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) extended its current winning streak to five games following a two-point loss at Missouri in its SEC opener. The Gators also made it 16 consecutive home victories at Exactech Arena - dating back to last January - with 10 of those coming against SEC opponents.

Chinyelu, who on Monday was named SEC Player of the Week for the first time in his career, helped the Gators enjoy a 50-30 rebounding advantage. The junior center has 10 double-doubles this season, and the Gators are undefeated in those games.

Florida maintained a double-digit lead for the entirety of the second half as Boogie Fland and Alex Condon both finished with 10 points. The Gators pulled down 24 offensive rebounds - 11 from Chinyelu - and that led to a 21-10 edge in second-chance points.

Starting point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. returned to the lineup for LSU (13-6, 1-5) after missing the previous five games with a lower-leg injury. Thomas, who entered averaging 16.2 points and 7.1 assists per game, came off the bench early in the first half and finished 1-of-8 shooting for two points with three assists and two rebounds in 17 minutes.

Mike Nwoko posted a team-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and six rebounds for the Tigers before he fouled out with 6:58 remaining. Marquel Sutton scored eight of his 10 points in the second half to go with seven boards, and Max Mackinnon added 10 points.

Points were mostly at a premium in the opening half as Florida, which has five straight wins over LSU going back to the 2022-23 season, managed a 38-26 lead at intermission despite missing 10 of 14 3-point attempts and six free throws. The Gators outscored LSU 15-8 over the final six minutes, punctuated by six late points from Thomas Haugh that included a deep triple from the left wing just before time expired.

- Field Level Media

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