LSU came into Saturday afternoon’s contest versus the Arkansas Razorbacks looking to improve to 16-1 on the season. Neither squad shot very well from the floor and turned the ball over a bunch too. The Razorbacks took advantage off Eric Gaines going down with an injury and won 65-58.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The LSU Tigers won the opening jump ball as Efton Reid made his first jump shot attempt with Darius Days assisted on the play. The Tigers had seven straight points after Au’Diese Toney scored Arkansas’ first bucket. Reid and Brandon Murray made back-to-back shots from free throw range and then Tari Eason hit a three pointer before the Razorbacks called their first timeout. LSU forced three turnovers in the run.
Alex Fudge responded for the Tigers with a made jumper of his own after Jaylin Williams made one, following a turnover by each team. The Razorbacks cut it to within two with a JD Notae and Chris Lykes bucket. Fudge made a three pointer the next possession for the Tigers, then Eric Gaines made the layup after Eason stole the ball. Eason assisted on the play as well. Arkansas went on a 9-2 run and tied the game at 18 with 8:58 left in the first half.
Lykes gave the Razorbacks their first lead of the game with a couple of free throws after layups by Eason and Notae. Fudge got LSU their lead back with another three, but Toney got a quick dunk in as the Tigers were caught napping getting back on defense. Fudge tied the game following a few turnovers by both teams with his first free throw, but missed the second.
LSU and Arkansas were tied again at 28 with 2:38 left in the first half, following an Eason layup. Gaines and Justice Williams each made a bucket, Notae and Stanley Umude hit a few free throws, but Gaines’ free throw gave LSU the 33-31 lead at halftime.
Gaines continued the scoring for the purple and gold, opening the second half with a layup. The Razorbacks took the one point lead with Notae scoring their next five points, but Reid, LSU’s next possession, made his first three pointer as Murray assisted on the play.
With 13:38 left in the second half, Arkansas tied the game at 45 with a Davonte Davis layup. Up to that point, both teams matched shots with each made shot. Gaines was successful from beyond the arc, Umude did too right after. Days made a layup, then Williams made one too. Williams and Toney made free throw, then Eason made a couple of his own.
The Tigers responded with an 11-3 run to give themselves the 56-48 lead. After a Gaines jumper, Fudge splashed one of his own after Gaines grabbed the offensive rebound from Days’ miss. Then, with a few free throws from other Tiger players, Eason took the ball right to the rack in transition off the Fudge steal.
Gaines went for the alley-oop pass, but was called for charging and got injured on the play with 6:46 left in the game. With him being out, the Razorbacks went on an 8-0 run and took the two point lead as head coach Will Wade burned a timeout with under three and a half minutes left.
Fudge was able to tie the game again with a dunk, but a Williams three gave the Razorbacks the lead with 74 seconds left. Eason stole the ball back but Mwani Wilkinson coughed it up and Umude got the offensive rebound and tipped it in after a missed free throw secured the 65-58 win for Arkansas.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: JD Notae
Williams was clutch for his Razorback team as he scored 11 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, got three steals and drew four charging fouls on LSU players. Williams’ three late in the game, gave Arkansas the lead to ultimately defeat the purple and gold Tigers.
BIG NUMBER: 1
LSU made only one out their final nine shots in the final nine minutes of the game as the Tigers lost 65-58 to the Arkansas Razorbacks.
NEXT UP: @Alabama; Wednesday January 19th; Tip off at 6:00