BATON ROUGE, La. – Trae Hannibal scored a game-high 19 points, including two driving baskets inside the final 1:12, to lead LSU (12-1; 1-0 SEC) to a 60-57 victory over #9/78 Arkansas (11-2, 0-1 SEC) Wednesday night in the teams’ SEC opener.
The game featured 10 ties and seven lead changes with no team leading by more than six points throughout the game.
Down three, Davonte Davis hit a 3-pointer to tie the game, 47-47, with 5:10 left. Arkansas also tied the game at 49 on an Anthony Black putback with 4:27 left before the Razorbacks took a 2-point lead, 51-49, on a pair of Makhi Mitchell free throws.
The lead bounced back and forth over the next 30 seconds. Then, with 2:28 left, Derek Fountain converted an old-fashion 3-point play to put the Tigers up two. Arkansas cut the deficit to one before Hannibal made the first of his late-game layups. The Razorbacks would get back to within one before Hannibal’s second layup.
Arkansas once again answered on a second Black putback to make it a one-point deficit for the Razorbacks with 21 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Mitchell blocked a shot that led to a fastbreak opportunity, but the Razorbacks could not take advantage. Arkansas was forced to foul, and Adam Miller made two free throws with 1.8 seconds left to put the Tigers up three. A final half-court attempt bounced off the rim to preserve the LSU win.
Fountain finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Davis led the Hogs with 16 points while Ricky Council IV and Jordan Walsh each scored 13. Mitchell had a game-high 12 rebounds and Walsh added nine. Black had seven points, eight rebounds and four assists with just two turnovers in 40 minutes.
Arkansas returns to Bud Walton Arena to host Missouri on Wednesday (Jan. 4). Tipoff is set for 7:30 pm and the game will be televised on SEC Network.
