BATON ROUGE, La. – Arkansas women’s basketball (14-6, 2-3 SEC) fell to No. 10/9 LSU (18-2, 5-1 SEC) on Sunday, 99-68, as the defending NCAA National Champions won the game in wire-to-wire fashion. Samara Spencer led the Hogs with 20 points, her fifth 20-piece of the year, along with seven assists and three steals.
LSU jumped ahead to an early 9-0 lead just 2:19 into the game, forcing Arkansas to take an early timeout. Arkansas continued to struggle out of the timeout, as LSU led 18-0 with 4:15 left in the first quarter. Maryam Dauda then knocked down the Hogs’ first field goal after over six minutes off a 3-pointer. Dauda would then make another one, which brought some life to the Hogs’ offense, as Arkansas was able to outscore the Tigers 16-7 in the final four minutes of the quarter. Off a miss, Spencer knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 10, but LSU responded with a jumper. Carly Keats then made Arkansas’ fourth 3-pointer of the game, as the Hogs trailed 25-16 in the first quarter.
LSU scored the first three baskets of the second quarter, including two 3-pointers to go ahead 33-16 just two minutes into the frame. Dauda then got the Hogs out of a scoreless stretch, as Spencer found Dauda for a layup. LSU then went on a 7-0 run, as Arkansas trailed 42-20 with 5:14 left in the half. Makayla Daniels buried a 3-pointer, her first score of the game, as the Hogs trailed, 42-23, at the media timeout taken at the 4:44 mark. Arkansas went cold, going 1-of-7 from the field, as LSU went on a 6-0 run. Karley Johnson and Spencer got layups, but LSU ended the half on a 5-0 run. Arkansas was outscored 30-12 in the second quarter to trail 55-28 at the half.
Spencer got the Hogs on the board first in the second half with two free throws and then knocked down a triple. LSU extended the lead back to 27 after having an answer to both of those possessions by the Hogs, but Dauda and Keats knocked down back-to-back triples. The Tigers then went on an 8-2 run, as Arkansas found itself down by 27, 68-41, with 4:53 left in the third quarter. Spencer knocked down a 3-pointer and then Dauda got to the line to make two free throws, but LSU had an answer on each of those possessions from Arkansas. LSU finished out the quarter on an 8-0 run, as Arkansas trailed, 80-50, at the end of the third quarter.
LSU extended its run to a 10-0 run with a jumper to begin the fourth quarter. Daniels would answer with a 3-pointer and deliver Arkansas’ first eight points of the quarter. The Tigers would not slow down, going 3-of-3 from the field. Jenna Lawrence logged the 11th of Arkansas’ 12 3-pointers in the game, but LSU had an answer with a layup. At the media timeout taken at the 4:46 mark, Arkansas trailed, 93-61. Arkansas outscored LSU 7-5 in the final five minutes of the game. The Hogs fell, 99-68.
The Razorbacks will return to Bud Walton Arena for the first time in two weeks to host Kentucky on Thursday, Jan. 25. Arkansas will play Kentucky for the second of two times during the regular season at 7 p.m. on SECN+.
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