The LSU men’s basketball team ended the first half with a commanding 20-point lead against Arkansas (13-6, 1-5), but, following a halftime celebration that featured former LSU legends such as Bob Pettit and Rudy Macklin, the Tigers let that advantage slip as low as five in a sloppy 79-69 win.
“With all the festivities going on this weekend, I thought we did a really good job of finding a way to win the basketball game,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson. “I thought the guys got a little tight … with all the former players and coaches that were here, it weighed on them heavily.”
An outstanding team performance from the 3-point line proved the difference for LSU (17-4, 5-1). The Tigers shot a combined 50 percent from 3-point range, and sophomore point guard Bo Spencer scored 21 points behind a staggering 5-of-6 performance from the 3-point line.
“They went into a zone and I had wide open shots, and I had confidence” Spencer said. “It just so happened that they kept leaving me open and I kept knocking it down.”
Senior center Chris Johnson used the occasion to up his standing in LSU history with his second-consecutive double-double, the eighth of his season. Johnson finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. His seven blocks on the afternoon moved him to No. 2 all-time in LSU history with 135.
Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State, 67-63, earlier in the day, putting LSU alone atop the Southeastern Conference Western Division.
The Tigers hold a tiebreaker over Mississippi State (14-7, 4-2) because of a head-to-head victory, meaning they have a two-game lead in the division heading into Wednesday’s game against last place Georgia (0-5, 9-11).
 
 
 
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Contact David Helman at [email protected]