BATON ROUGE, La. — It was one of those games for Arkansas in a 95-74 loss to LSU Saturday afternoon at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
The Razorbacks, who haven't won back-to-back games since late December, were outmatched from the opening tip-off as the Tigers made eight consecutive shots, including four three-pointers, to take a 23-10 lead with 11:14 to play in the first half.
Arkansas (11-11, 2-7 SEC) allowed LSU (12-9, 4-4 SEC) to string together several big runs, and they couldn't battle back from an early deficit, shooting 43.6% from the field as a team and 3 of 13 (23.1%) from behind the three-point line.
Tramon Mark led the Razorbacks with 20 points on 7 of 13 (53.8%) shooting with a team-high six rebounds, while Jalen Graham added 18 points and four boards.
LSU's versatile 7-foot big man, Will Baker, was a problem for the Hogs as he applied pressure from the post and perimeter.
Baker sparked the Tigers on their initial run to build an early double-digit lead and finished with a game-high 25 points, 17 coming in the first half, on 9 of 11 (81.8%) shooting with two rebounds and one assist.
The Hogs allowed LSU to shoot 54.7% from the field, including 12 of 23 (52.2%) from three as the Tigers continued to pile on to their lead, 30-14, thanks to two consecutive three-pointers by Mike Williams III midway through the first half.
LSU's ability to work the ball inside and out allowed them to take a 45-30 lead into the locker room.
Arkansas led for only 1:39 at the beginning of the game, and the Tigers were determined to hold onto their lead in the second half.
Much like the start of the game, LSU and its efficient offense kept its foot on the gas with a 9-0 run to build a 22-point advantage with 17:20 remaining.
That deficit for the Razorbacks extended to 28 points, the largest of the game when Jordan Wright made a three-pointer to give the Tigers a 93-65 lead.
Arkansas will have a week off before returning to action against Georgia on Feb. 10. Coverage from Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville begins at 5:00 p.m. Central on the SEC Network.