Darius Acuff Jr. scores 31, leads Arkansas to comeback win over LSU
By David Wasson
Published:
The 20th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks got a career-high 31 points from freshman Darius Acuff Jr. to score an 85-81 victory over LSU on Saturday night – a game that was moved up more than 3 hours due to a major snowstorm that swept across the state.
Arkansas (15-5 overall, 5-2 SEC) trailed LSU 37-33 at halftime but unspooled a 52-point second half to pull away for the victory – with Acuff delivering 24 of his points in the game’s final 20 minutes.
Acuff shot 10 for 11 from the field in the second half and made all 3 of his 3-pointers. Arkansas made 9 consecutive shots starting midway through the second half. Acuff had a hand in all of them – making 6 baskets, including 3 treys, and assisting on the other 3 buckets.
Fellow freshman Meleek Thomas joined Acuff in double figures with 13 points while Billy Richmond III added 11.
LSU (13-7, 1-6) scored 19 second-chance points and outscored the Razorbacks in the paint 42-36. The Tigers also dominated at the free throw line, making 22-of-25, while the Razorbacks only made 7 of their 18. Dedan Thomas Jr. led the Tigers with 18 points, and Pablo Tamba added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Arkansas notched its second straight win, while LSU dropped its second consecutive decision.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
