LSU Battles, But Razorbacks Pull Away Late in Fayetteville
Winning on the road in the SEC is never easy. For LSU, this week was a gauntlet - back-to-back games against ranked opponents, both away from the friendly confines of Baton Rouge.
After a tough loss to Florida earlier in the week, the Tigers showed grit but ultimately came up short against No. 20 Arkansas, falling 85-81 in a hard-fought contest at Bud Walton Arena.
This one had all the ingredients of a classic SEC showdown: physical play, big-time shot-making, and a rising star who simply wouldn’t be denied.
Darius Acuff Steals the Show
LSU threw everything it had at Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff - traps, pressure, even a switch to zone late in the second half - but nothing seemed to rattle him. Acuff was surgical, finishing with a career-high 31 points and six assists, including a scorching 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting after halftime. He controlled the tempo, read every defensive wrinkle LSU threw his way, and made the big plays when it mattered most.
“We tried to throw the kitchen sink at him,” LSU head coach Matt McMahon said. “We could not rattle him, especially in the last 10 minutes.”
It wasn’t just the scoring - it was the timing. With the game tied at 66 and LSU switching to a 2-3 zone for the first time, Acuff calmly buried a deep three at the shot clock buzzer.
Next possession, he knifed through the defense for a layup. Then came an and-one from teammate Billy Richmond, and just like that, Arkansas had strung together a 8-0 run to seize control.
LSU’s Strong Start, But Cold From Deep
Early on, LSU looked like the more energized team. Dedan Thomas, back in the starting lineup in just his second game since returning from a lower-leg injury, set the tone right away.
He picked off a pass on Arkansas’ first possession and found Mike Nwoko for a fastbreak dunk. Nwoko followed that up with a strip of Arkansas big man Trevon Brazile, and LSU was off and running.
The Tigers played with pace and purpose, pushing the tempo and attacking the rim. They scored 20 of their first 30 points in the paint and had five players with multiple field goals in the first half. That inside-out balance helped LSU build a lead as large as eight and take a 37-33 edge into halftime.
But the 3-point shooting? That was a different story.
LSU went 0-for-8 from deep in the first half and finished just 3-of-15 for the game. Arkansas, on the other hand, knocked down 10-of-22 from beyond the arc - a 21-point swing that proved decisive.
“We did enough things well to give ourselves a chance,” McMahon said. “I loved our effort on the glass.
Turnovers down to nine, still a couple bad ones that hurt us, but at the end of the day, they hit 10 3s. We only made three.
We couldn't make up that 21-point difference there, behind the 3-point line.”
Thomas Looks Healthy, Finds His Groove Late
Thomas didn’t look like a player still shaking off rust. He moved well, ran the offense with composure, and showed flashes of the dynamic scorer LSU needs him to be. After a cold 1-of-7 start in the first half, Thomas found rhythm after the break, finishing with 18 points and five assists on 7-of-20 shooting.
He got LSU back in it late, scoring on a crafty and-one runner, knocking down a pull-up three - his first make from deep in SEC play - and hitting a mid-range jumper over Acuff to bring the Tigers within two at 81-79 with just over a minute and a half left.
Then, with 36 seconds left, Thomas hit a smooth elbow jumper to cut the deficit to 84-81. Acuff missed a pair of free throws, giving LSU a chance to tie.
But Thomas couldn’t get a clean look from three and missed a floater in the lane. Nwoko had a shot at the rebound but couldn’t corral it, and the ball went out of bounds off LSU.
That was the final blow in a game that felt within reach until the very end.
Rebounding Response, But Not Enough
One of the biggest issues in LSU’s loss to Florida earlier in the week was rebounding - they got hammered on the glass, 50-30. Against Arkansas, that narrative flipped. LSU won the rebounding battle 36-28, thanks to strong efforts from Pablo Tamba and Marquel Sutton.
Tamba was a force, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds, including seven boards in the first half alone. Sutton added 11 points and four rebounds, with three of those coming on the offensive end. LSU’s work on the glass helped them maintain control early and stay in the fight late.
But when Arkansas caught fire in the second half - shooting nearly 68% from the field and 6-of-10 from three - even the rebounding edge couldn’t keep LSU afloat.
The Takeaway
LSU showed fight. They executed a solid game plan, got a strong performance from Thomas in his return to the starting lineup, and dominated the glass against a tough opponent. But in a league like the SEC, effort alone doesn’t always translate to wins - especially when you’re cold from deep and facing a red-hot scorer like Acuff.
The Tigers fall to 13-7 overall and 1-6 in conference play. It’s been a tough stretch, but there are signs of life - especially with Thomas back in the fold and the team showing more cohesion on both ends.
The road doesn’t get easier, but if LSU can build on this performance, clean up the perimeter shooting, and continue to grow around its core, they’ll have a shot to turn things around as the SEC grind continues.