LSU Collapses in Fayetteville, Fall 60-40 To Arkansas
It was too little too late for Matt McMahon and his LSU squad in their 60-40 loss to Arkansas on Tuesday night. Despite the Tigers putting up a fight in the second half and showing life, their disastrous first half became too much to overcome.
There wasn’t much LSU could have done in the second half to propel themselves to a miraculous victory. After shooting 3-for-25 in the first 20 minutes and only scoring 14 points, their deficit was insurmountable.
Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from Tuesday night’s loss:
The Good: LSU Showed Fight
It was a tale of two halves for the Tigers. Putting the first half behind them quickly, it was a different showing for this unit in the final 20 minutes. Coming out the gate on a 12-2 run and making seven of their first 11 shots, McMahon clearly got through to his players during the half.
Despite the hot start being short lived with the Razorbacks regaining control, it was a positive sight seeing the Tigers not throw in the white flag to end the game. Adam Miller led the way in the second half, scoring eight of the first 12 points.
Yes, it was a disastrous showing from LSU on Tuesday, but continuing to put forth effort until the final buzzer was something “good” to see with McMahon looking to build a new culture in Baton Rouge.
The Bad: Turnovers
10 first half turnovers in the SEC won’t cut it. Pair the turnover woes with only three made field goals and it’s an immediate recipe for disaster. LSU’s backcourt continues to struggle with their decision making when the shot clock winds down and it’s plagued this team through much of conference play.
Cutting the number of turnovers in half through the final 20 minutes, it’s clear the adjustments McMahon made were beneficial, but another sluggish start in the first half didn't allow LSU to make a comeback.
It wasn’t just the backcourt who struggled to make the right read with the basketball. Freshman forward Jalen Reed, who earned the start against Arkansas, totaled three turnovers of his own in just the first half, leading to easy baskets on the other end.
The Ugly: Transition Defense
The story of the first half was the Razorbacks turning defense into offense. Forcing quick turnovers and getting out on the other end allowed them to balloon their lead to 20 in the blink of an eye.
For LSU, once the ball was out of their hands there was no hustle to get back on the other end to stop the fastbreak. The lack of effort in this area of the game was one that stuck out like a sore thumb.
The Tigers were beat down the floor for much of the first half, catapulting the Razorbacks to a double-digit lead after converting on easy baskets.
LSU will be back in action on Saturday when they host Texas Tech in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge at 1 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
