The Hogs were hoping the third time’s the charm in Saturday’s Arkansas vs LSU game.
If the LSU power couple of Paul Skenes and Olivia Dunne had been in attendance, it could have spelled trouble for Arkansas. After all, they were in the crowd when the Tigers took down the Razorbacks in Death Valley back in September and they were both in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Friday night when the LSU gymnastics team won a top-10 battle against Arkansas.
Of course, in the latter of those events, Dunne – who is known more for her social media presence – was competing and Skenes – the best pitcher in college baseball last year and eventual No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft – was there as a supportive boyfriend.
Prior to dating Dunne, Skenes surprisingly didn’t have Arkansas’ number. He started against the Razorbacks twice and LSU didn’t win either game. Since they became a couple, though, the Tigers have beaten the Razorbacks in each of the events they were present.
That’s a trend Eric Musselman’s squad most definitely did end in the Arkansas vs LSU basketball game, in which they got blown away despite Skenes and Dunne apparently deciding to skip the event.
UPDATE: For our post-game piece: Mitchell-Musselman Spat Tip of Miscommunication Iceberg That Keeps Sinking Hogs + More from LSU Loss
LIVE UPDATES – Arkansas vs LSU
15:50, 1H – LSU 7, Arkansas 2
The Hogs came out with pretty good defensive intensity, but it’s been a struggle on the offensive end. Arkansas is just 1 of 5 from the floor, with two of those misses being blocked, and has committed three turnovers. Meanwhile, the Tigers have started to find their groove on offense.
12:00, 1H – LSU 20, Arkansas 9
LSU can’t miss. It’s 7 of 8 from the floor, including Will Baker being 4 of 4 with 11 points. Three of those shots by Baker were 3s, which is crazy because he came into this game with nine total 3-pointers.
7:50, 1H – LSU 32, Arkansas 18
Eric Musselman calls a rare timeout after another bucket by LSU, which is now 11 of 14 from the floor. The Tigers are also 6 of 7 from deep. They’re on pace to score 105 points.
2:59, 1H – LSU 36, Arkansas 24
A quick 6-0 spurt by the Hogs prompts an LSU timeout. The Tigers were doubling up the Hogs before that run. Arkansas’ shooting percentage has climbed to 40.9% (9 of 22), while LSU’s has dropped to 60.0% (12 of 20).
HALF – LSU 45, Arkansas 30
The Hogs ended the half on a 6-0 run, but still trail by 15 at the half. Will Baker leads all scorers with 17 points.
15:44, 2H – LSU 57, Arkansas 34
The Tigers stretched their lead to 34 before back-to-back buckets by Graham. LSU answered with a 3 by Baker, who is up to 23 points.
11:55, 2H – LSU 69, Arkansas 48
The good news is that Arkansas has managed to answer LSU several times in the past few minutes. The bad news is that the Tigers’ lead has hovered around 20.
6:54, 2H – LSU 79, Arkansas 60
LSU has gone nearly four minutes without a field goal, but still leads by 19. Jalen Graham leads the Hogs with 14 points.
3:38, 2H – LSU 86, Arkansas 65
Two Tigers have eclipsed 20 points — Will Baker with 25 and Jalen Cook has 20.
FINAL – LSU 95, Arkansas 74
The buzzer finally sounded. If you an Arkansas basketball fan, you can indulge in a bit of masochism by reading this:
FINAL STATS
HALFTIME STATS
Starting Lineups
| LSU Basketball | Arkansas Basketball |
|---|---|
| #0 – Trae Hannibal – G | #6 – Layden Bocker – G |
| #2 – Mike Williams III – G | #12 – Tramon Mark – G |
| #6 – Jordan Wright – G | #0 – Khalif Battle – G |
| #13 – Justin Reed – F | #8 – Chandler Lawson – F |
| #9 – Will Baker – C | #11 – Jalen Graham – F |
How to Watch Arkansas vs LSU
Date: Saturday, Feb. 3
Location: Pete Maravich Assembly Center (Baton Rouge, La.)
Tipoff Time/TV: 11 a.m. CT (ESPN2)
ESPN BPI: LSU has a 75.2% chance of winning, favored by 7.7 points
KenPom: LSU has a 69% chance of winning, projected score of 78-73
SEC Basketball Standings
| Team | SEC Record | Overall Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | 7-1 | 15-6 |
| 2. South Carolina | 6-2 | 18-3 |
| 2. Auburn | 6-2 | 17-4 |
| 4. Tennessee | 5-2 | 15-5 |
| 5. Ole Miss | 5-3 | 18-3 |
| 5. Kentucky | 5-3 | 15-5 |
| 5. Florida | 5-3 | 15-6 |
| 8. Georgia | 4-4 | 14-7 |
| 9. Texas A&M | 3-4 | 12-8 |
| 9. LSU | 3-4 | 11-9 |
| 11. Mississippi State | 3-5 | 14-7 |
| 12. Arkansas | 2-6 | 11-10 |
| 13. Vanderbilt | 0-7 | 5-15 |
| 14. Missouri | 0-8 | 8-13 |
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