FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks found its shooting touch as the LSU Tigers continued to search for its ability to make timely baskets as the Razorbacks won their first Southeastern Conference game of the year, 73-65, Wednesday night before 15,104 at Bud Walton Arena.
The win upped Arkansas’ overall record to 6-9 and made the Hogs 1-3 in the SEC West for first-year coach Stan Heath. LSU dropped its second consecutive game for the first time this season, falling to 12-4 and 1-3 in the West.
Eric Ferguson led the Razorbacks with 19 points while Michael Jones tossed in 16. The pair combined for seven of Arkansas’ nine three-point field goals as the Hogs were 9-of-19 from beyond the three-point arc. For the game, Arkansas shot 49 percent and 76 percent from the foul line, all much above their averages in SEC games.
The Tigers had four players in double figures led by the 18 points of Antonio Hudson. Torris Bright added 17 points, while Jaime Lloreda added 13 and Ronald Dupree 12. The Tigers, 1-of-13 from the three-point range against Ole Miss last Saturday, was 3-of-16 against the Razorbacks (18 percent). The Tigers shot just 38 percent from the field and 18-of-31 from the free throw line (58 percent), including 6-of-15 in the second half.
The most telling statistic of all was in rebounding in which the Hogs out rebounded the Tigers, 44-22.
LSU came out ready to play in the early going, jumping to a 7-4 lead on an old fashioned (lay up and free throw) three-point play by Bright and then shortly thereafter a 21-foot jumper to make it 10-6 LSU, four minutes deep. But Arkansas, feeding off the 49 points it scored on Saturday in the second half against Georgia, began hitting shots, taking an 18-14 lead on Ferguson’s long jumper with 12:12 to go in the half.
Arkansas, with their fans in the less than full building in full throat, jumped to a seven-point first half lead on a Jones trey and then later a 28-20 advantage on a Blake Eddins three-pointer from the right corner with seven minutes to go in the half. LSU would eventually work its way back in to the half, tying the game at 31-31 and 33-33 in the final two minutes on two Lloreda lay ins.
LSU would take the lead in the game on two free throws by Darrel Mitchell and a Hudson free throws that would give the Tigers a 38-37 advantage at the intermission.
The game remained close in a sloppy start to the second half with LSU still gaming hanging in the game, 44-41, on a short Dupree jumper with 15:24 to play. But Arkansas would tie it on a long Jones jumper and take the lead for good on a free throw by Jonathon Modica with 14:46 to play. It was part of an 11-2 run which would give the Razorbacks a six-point cushion, 52-46, with 11:06 to go.
LSU cut the lead to two, 56-54 on a Dupree slam dunk with 8:10 to play but that was the closest LSU could get as the Razorbacks were able to finish possessions and LSU was among other things, going 6-for-13 at the free throw line over the final 6:25.
“We don’t defend or rebound very well at all,” said LSU Coach John Brady, “but I can’t really say that because we out rebounded Ole Miss last week. We can’t seem to make plays at the right time. I think everything that could have gone wrong did. They rebounded over us and went 9-19 from the three-point arc. I believe everyone lights it up against us. We can’t seem to make a play or make shots.”
“We looked like a completely different team than we did against Georgia and Auburn,” said Arkansas’ Heath. “We got off to a good start. I think that was the key to the game. We started good and we were really aggressive. We attached the press and didn’t back off. We passed the ball and got it to the open man.”
LSU travels to Mississippi State in Starkville for a 2 p.m. game on JP Sports before returning home Tuesday night for an 8 p.m. ESPN telecast against nationally ranked Florida.