Darius Acuff Jr. Erupts for 31 as No. 20 Arkansas Rallies Past LSU in Fayetteville
FAYETTEVILLE - Bud Walton Arena has seen its fair share of electric performances, but what Darius Acuff Jr. delivered Saturday afternoon might be one Razorback fans won’t forget anytime soon. The freshman guard exploded for a career-high 31 points-24 of them coming in a scorching second half-to lift No. 20 Arkansas to an 85-81 comeback win over LSU.
With just under 10 minutes left and Arkansas trailing 59-56, Acuff shifted into takeover mode. What followed was a stretch of basketball that felt less like a freshman finding his rhythm and more like a seasoned star seizing the moment.
He tied the game with a confident triple, then assisted on a Karter Knox three to give the Hogs the lead. But Acuff wasn’t done.
On the very next LSU possession, he blocked not one, but two shots-both on the same trip down the floor. The second rejection led to a coast-to-coast layup that put Arkansas ahead 64-61, igniting the crowd and swinging momentum firmly toward the home team.
From there, Acuff scored nine straight points for the Razorbacks, pushing the lead to 71-67. Every shot he took seemed to find the bottom of the net-he finished 10-of-11 from the field in the second half, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. The LSU defense had no answers.
The Hogs extended their lead to 79-72 with 4:12 remaining after a Nick Pringle layup off, what else, an Acuff dime-his fifth assist of the day. LSU made one last push, trimming the deficit to 81-79 with under two minutes to go.
But when the Tigers keyed in on Acuff, he calmly found Trevon Brazile in the corner for a clutch three-pointer with 49 seconds left. That shot, off Acuff’s sixth assist, all but sealed it.
Acuff did leave the door cracked slightly by going just 1-of-4 from the free-throw line in the final 31 seconds, but the one he hit-with six seconds left-pushed the lead to four and effectively shut it for good.
His 31 points marked the eighth time in Arkansas history that a freshman has scored 30 or more in a game. It’s also the most points scored by any Razorback in a single game under head coach John Calipari, and the 24-point second half is the highest-scoring half by a Hog during Calipari’s tenure. Acuff finished 13-of-19 from the floor and 4-of-7 from deep, with his 13 made field goals tying for the fifth-most by a Razorback in an SEC regular-season contest.
And while Acuff stole the spotlight, he wasn’t alone in delivering for Arkansas. Fellow freshman Meleek Thomas turned in an efficient 14-point effort on 6-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three, and added three assists. Billy Richmond III chipped in 11 points off the bench, while Brazile contributed seven points, seven boards, and three steals-including that dagger three in crunch time.
LSU, to its credit, didn’t go quietly. The Tigers stayed in it thanks to an impressive 22-of-25 showing at the free-throw line, while Arkansas struggled at the stripe, going just 7-of-18.
All five LSU starters scored in double figures, led by Dedan Thomas Jr.’s 18 points. Pablo Tamba added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, helping LSU out-rebound Arkansas 21-14 in the first half and dominate second-chance points early.
The game was originally slated for a 7:30 p.m. tip but was moved up to 4 p.m. due to a winter storm in the region. That didn’t stop the Razorback faithful from showing up-and they were treated to a classic.
First Half Recap: LSU Controls Early
LSU led for over 17 minutes of the first half, using their size and physicality to control the glass and rack up 13 second-chance points. Arkansas had a brief 7-0 run to take a 20-18 lead, but the Tigers responded and went into the break up 37-33.
Max McKinnon led LSU with eight points in the half, while Tamba added seven points and seven rebounds. For Arkansas, the scoring load was balanced early, with Acuff, Thomas, and D.J. Wagner each tallying seven points.
Second Half Surge: Hogs Flip the Script
The second half was a different story. Arkansas turned up the tempo, outscoring LSU 11-2 in fastbreak points and flipping the paint battle after getting outscored 24-12 down low in the first half. The Hogs matched LSU’s physicality and leaned on Acuff’s brilliance to outscore the Tigers 52-44 after the break.
Dedan Thomas Jr. tried to keep LSU in it with 14 second-half points, but Arkansas made just enough plays-on both ends-to hold on.
Quick Hits:
- Arkansas’ starting five: Darius Acuff Jr., Meleek Thomas, Karter Knox, Trevon Brazile, and Nick Pringle.
- LSU’s Max McKinnon opened the scoring with a layup just 17 seconds in; Acuff answered with a three on the next possession.
- Arkansas’ first subs: Billy Richmond III, Malique Ewin, and D.J. Wagner.
- This was the 83rd all-time meeting between Arkansas and LSU, and the 73rd since the Hogs joined the SEC. Arkansas now leads the series 45-37 and has won 7 of the last 10.
- The Hogs are especially dominant at home in this matchup, improving to 26-8 in Fayetteville.
- With this win, John Calipari now sits at 892 career victories-just eight shy of the 900 mark.
Up Next:
Arkansas hits the road for a Tuesday showdown in Norman against the Oklahoma Sooners. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN.
Freshman Scoring Milestones:
Acuff’s 31-point outing joins elite company in Razorback history:
- 35 - Bobby Portis vs. Alabama (2014)
- 34 - Isaiah Joe vs. FIU (2018)
- 34 - Scotty Thurman vs. Ole Miss (1993)
- 34 - Scotty Thurman vs. Missouri (1992)
- 32 - George Kok vs. Texas A&M (1945)
- 31 - Darius Acuff Jr. vs. LSU (2026)
- 31 - B.J. Young vs.
Florida (2012)
- 30 - Joe Johnson vs.
Mississippi State (2000)
If Saturday was any indication, Darius Acuff Jr. might not be done climbing that list.