Watford, Manning help LSU grab 79-77 thriller over Arkansas

Trendon Watford made a three-point play and Charles Manning blocked two field goal attempts in final seconds as LSU defeated Arkansas 79-77 in a Souastern Conference game Wednesday night.

lead changed hands eight times in final six minutes. Watford put Tigers (10-4, 2-0) ahead 76-74 with a three-point play with 32 seconds remaining in game. Razorbacks (12-2, 1-1) regained lead on a three-point play by Isaiah Joe with 21 seconds to play.

LSU kept possession after Skylar Mays had his shot blocked out of bounds by Adrio Bailey with 12 seconds left. Watford n made his second three-point play with eight seconds to play. Arkansas had two shots at a game-winning 3-pointer, but Manning blocked both – one by Joe and one by Desi Sills.

Watford led LSU with a season-high 21 points. Mays had 19 points, while Darius Days had 16 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Javonte Smart had ten points.

Mason Jones, who fouled out in final minute, was top scorer for Razorbacks with 24 points. Jimmy Whitt had 22 points and Joe scored 13 – all in second half.

Neir team had more than a four-point lead until Arkansas put toger a 12-0 run late in first half. Jones and Bailey combined for all 12 Razorbacks points. A 3-pointer by Jones put Arkansas ahead 35-24 with 4:06 before halftime.

LSU responded with its own spurt down stretch of first half. Days kcked down two 3-pointers to help Tigers reduce ir double-digit deficit. A foul shot by Days with 22 seconds remaining left LSU behind Razorbacks 40-37 at halftime.

BIG PICTURE

LSU: Tigers won ir first close game of season as y had dropped three games by two points in n-conference portion of schedule to VCU, Utah State and Sourn California.

Arkansas: Razorbacks suffered ir first defeat of season in regulation. Arkansas’ or defeat came in overtime at Western Kentucky.

UP NEXT

LSU will play ar home SEC game when it faces Mississippi State on Saturday.

Arkansas will play a second straight SEC road game when it meets Ole Miss in Oxford on Saturday.