FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas rallied from a four-point deficit in the final five minutes and LSU freshman Jeanne Kenney‘s potential game-winning three-point attempt in the final second missed off the back iron as the Lady Tigers fell to the Razorbacks, 42-40, on Sunday afternoon in Bud Walton Arena.
The loss dropped LSU to 17-11 overall and 7-7 in Southeastern Conference play. The Lady Tigers now sit in a tie for sixth place with two games remaining and it puts LSU in a near must-win situation at home against South Carolina at 7 p.m. CT Thursday. Following Thursday night’s final home game, LSU then heads to Tennessee for the regular season finale next Sunday.
Arkansas (18-8, 6-8) saw a seven-game losing streak against LSU in Fayetteville come to an end. It was the Razorbacks first win against the Lady Tigers since Jan. 19, 2003, and they also swept the season series for the first time since 1996.
“You only give up 42 points and we couldn’t get the ball in the hole,” said LSU head coach Van Chancellor. “Give Arkansas credit for finding a way to win. (Sarah) Watkins made some clutch shots late. I can’t get us to quit charging and I don’t have an answer. You can’t defend them any better than that. We can’t make shots. We had a play drawn up at the end and it didn’t work out. When you a hold a team in the Southeastern Conference to 42 points and can’t win, you have problems.”
Adrienne Webb led LSU with 10 points and six rebounds. LaSondra Barrett added nine points and a team-high nine boards for LSU, who was held to a season-low 40 points on 26.5 percent shooting (13-of-49). Despite another dominant defensive outing, the Lady Tigers went cold from the floor and missed several key free throws in the final two minutes.
For the second straight game, LSU held an opponent under 50 points and lost. Prior to last week’s Kentucky game, the Lady Tigers had won 16 consecutive games when holding an opponent under 50 points.
Destini Hughes put LSU ahead 37-33 with 5:56 remaining in the game before the Razorbacks mounted a 6-0 run to take the lead late. Sarah Watkins buried a three from the top of the key and C’eira Ricketts drove the lane for a layup with the shot clock winding down to hand Arkansas a 38-37 advantage with 4:05 to go.
Watkins made a free throw to push the lead to two, but Courtney Jones responded for LSU with a turnaround paint jumper that made it 39-39 with 2:40 left. It would be the final field goal for the Lady Tigers. Watkins drained another clutch jumper from the left wing that broke the tie with 2:18 on the clock.
LSU had its chances in the final two minutes. Taylor Turnbow went to the line on a loose ball foul, but only converted one free throw that pulled the Lady Tigers within one with 1:53 to go. Turnbow then had a chance to give LSU the lead again but she missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 38 seconds left. Harris converted a free throw of her own and LSU had one final chance with four seconds left.
After a timeout, Katherine Graham inbounded to Kenney whose 3-point attempt over two defenders clanged off the backboard and back iron as time expired.
Watkins led the Razorbacks with a game-high 19 points – none bigger than her two goals in the final minutes. Arkansas shot 25.4 percent for the game.
The Razorbacks built a 20-18 halftime lead on LSU after the Lady Tigers converted only one field goal in the final 10 minutes of the first stanza.