FAYETTEVILLE — The LSU Tigers, off a confidence-building home win Wednesday against Auburn, takes its act on the road here Saturday facing Arkansas in a 2 p.m. men’s basketball SEC game at Bud Walton Arena.
The game will be regionally televised by JP Sports (WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge) and the radio broadcast will be available on the LSU Sports Network (Eagle 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge), on line at www.LSUsports.net and Sirius Satellite Radio at channel 111. The game is listed as a sellout.
LSU is 13-7 and 6-3 in the SEC Western Division, alone in second place one game ahead of Mississippi State and one game behind Alabama in the division race. Arkansas, winners of two straight over Ole Miss and Georgia, is at 16-7 overall and 4-6 in the league (4th place). The Razorbacks have the fourth most overall wins in the league this year.
LSU is coming off a 90-69 win over Auburn on Wednesday night in which all five players scored in double figures and had a solid performance. Darrel Mitchell and Tack Minor each had 17 points, while Antonio Hudson and Brandon Bass each scored 15 and Glen Davis 12. LSU shot 56.9 percent from the field (33-of-58) and 9-of-17 from the arc as the Tigers scored 90 points for the second time in eight days against SEC opponents.
LSU won the first meeting this year between the team, 66-63 in overtime, in Baton Rouge in mid-January. The Tigers shot just 36.7 percent in that game (22-of-60) and 5-of-20 from the arc. Davis was LSU’s main scorer with 26 points and 18 rebounds with Bass the only other player in double figures with 15.
The main situation the Tigers must overcome is the sometimes inability to translate LSU’s strong play (11-1 record) at home to the road (where the Tigers are 1-5).
“I was proud of the way our team played (Wednesday) versus Auburn after not playing very well against Tennessee last weekend,” said LSU Coach John Brady. “We are staying true to form. We play well at home and not so well on the road. Now we have a tough game at Arkansas. Their fans will enjoy it I’m sure as they have gotten some big wins here lately. Hopefully the 10 or 12 fans we have there will enjoy it too and we can get a much needed road win. We played well at Georgia and need to again at Arkansas. It should be a great game.”
Arkansas beat Georgia, 62-47, in its game on Wednesday in Fayetteville with Darian Townes leading the scorer with 17 points. Ronnie Brewer had 15 and Jonathon Modica 14. Brewer had 17 points to lead the Razorbacks in the first meeting with the Tigers.
LSU stays on the road and play at Mississippi State in Starkville on Wednesday night in a game regionally televised by JP Sports. LSU’s next home game is Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. against Florida.