Arkansas storms back to beat LSU

FAYETTEVILLE, AR. – LSU battled back-and-forth with No. 20 Arkansas for 40 minutes Saturday afternoon but came up just short in an 85-81 loss to the Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena.

The game marked the first SEC start and second SEC appearance for star point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. after missing the first five conference games due to a lower leg injury, and his presence was felt. In 31 minutes, Thomas finished with 18 points and five assists.

The Tigers held the lead for 26:25 and carried a 37-33 advantage into halftime after closing the opening period on a strong defensive stretch and controlling the paint. LSU built its largest lead of the game early in the second half, going up by eight with 17:55 remaining, but Arkansas responded with timely shooting and a late surge led by Darius Acuff to pull away down the stretch.

The Tigers finished the game with all five starters posting double digit scoring performances. Michael Nwoko finished with 14 points on efficient shooting and added five rebounds. Max Mackinnon continues to be a problem for opposing defenses, also finishing with 14 points, and Marquel Sutton chipped in 11 points, including a perfect seven-for-seven night at the free throw line. Pablo Tamba had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds on a perfect four-of-four shooting and three-of-four from the free throw line.

LSU won the rebounding battle, 36-28, and held advantages in points in the paint (42-36) and second-chance points (20-8), helping the Tigers stay within striking distance throughout the contest.

Arkansas was led by Darius Acuff Jr., who scored a game-high 31 points and knocked down four three-pointers. The Razorbacks shot 56.7 percent from the field and connected on 10-of-22 attempts from beyond the arc, including several key baskets in the final five minutes to seal the victory.

The Tigers shot 45.9 percent from the floor and made 22-of-25 free throws but were limited to just three three-pointers on the afternoon. Despite forcing eight Arkansas turnovers and generating multiple fast-break opportunities, LSU was unable to overcome Arkansas’ late shooting run.

The first half was tightly contested throughout, but LSU maintained the lead going into halftime with the 37-33 advantage over the Razorbacks. LSU shot 15-of-32 (46.9%) from the floor and 7-of-8 (87.5%) from the free throw line. Arkansas went 13-of-29 (44.8%) and 3-of-7 (42.9%) from the line. Arkansas drained four from deep.

In the second half, the Tigers built its lead up by as many as eight; however, the Razorbacks went on a 7-0 run to tie the game, 50-50, with 12:56 remaining. After exchanging baskets, Arkansas made a three, pushing its momentum to gain the lead. LSU tried to rally back from the seven-point deficit but fell short. LSU made 13-of-29 (44.8%) field goals and 15-of-17 (88.2%) from the free throw line. Arkansas recorded 21-of-31 shots for 67.7 percent and six from deep. The Razorbacks finished the game 11 of their last 12, outscoring the Tigers 52-44 in the second half.

Darius Acuff Jr. was the leading scorer for the Razorbacks, finishing with 31 points (24 points in the second half) on 13-of-19 shooting to go with four treys.

The Tigers are back on the court Wednesday, Jan. 28, returning home to face Mississippi State. The game will tip off at 6:00 p.m. CT at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network and the LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates.

LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon from LSU Sports Radio Network
On the defensive effort towards Arkansas’ Darius Acuff

“The thing about Darius Acuff is his poise and ability to read the defense. We tried to throw the kitchen sink at him. We couldn’t rattle hm, especially in the last ten minutes. If we trapped, he always made the right play. We went zone, and he hit a big three at the buzzer. We just couldn’t get enough stops there. We did enough little things well to give ourselves a chance. I thought the points in the paint were fantastic and the second chance points, too. I loved our effort on the glass. We had our turnovers down to nine. There were still a couple bad ones that hurt us, but at the end of the day, they hit ten threes, and we only made three. We couldn’t make up that 21-point difference behind the three-point line.

On the offensive execution
“We couldn’t knock down shots. They were running us off the line, funneling us into their shot-blocking. I thought our guys made some pretty good decisions there. We were able to get to the free-throw line. We went 22-for-25, which was fantastic, but they hit big shots, timely threes to stretch the lead. All that said, we were still right there in a one-possession game. We just didn’t get a good look there late to try and take the lead.”