Welcome everyone to the latest edition of #3OT where I break down what went right and what went wrong for the LSU Tigers! In this edition, I look at their 78-70 loss to Arkansas.
1st OT: Poor Shooting Late Cost LSU
When it comes to poor shooting and bad luck, the LSU Tigers had it in spades in their latest loss. Shooting 38 percent usually means you’re going to lose games, but the Tigers actually seemed to be firmly in control in the first half despite poor shooting. The biggest issue is they could not get anything to go in during the final twenty minutes and wound up costing them big time.
2nd OT: Strong Bench Helped Arkansas
One of the biggest things that helped Arkansas on Saturday was their bench. They had 31 total points come off the bench and really pushed the Razorbacks during their 21-4 run to start the second half. The dominance of Arkansas late can be directly correlated with the bench’s performance.
3rd OT: Was This A New Low?
As I saw the Tigers blow a 19-point lead at the half, one thing popped through my head: was this a new low for LSU hoops? It seems like it should be considering how much it’s seemed like this team has started to turn toward a more positive direction. They kept it competitive against Kentucky late and have had strong finishes lately despite still losing games. However, the thing that makes it a new low at least in my opinion is who it was in front of. They honored the 1991 SEC championship team that featured the likes of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Vernel Singleton, and more importantly Shaquille O’Neal. Having these former players out to see this team should have motivated the younger players to perform at a higher level. That wasn’t the case and really makes you wish for the days when Shaq was averaging 27 points a game.
-Clint Domingue