By CHIP SOUZA , Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Naz Reid scored 27 points to lead LSU to a 94-88 overtime win against Arkansas on Saturday.
Reid was 4 of 4 from behind the 3-point line and added seven rebounds as the Tigers (12-3, 2-0 SEC) held off a furious second-half Arkansas rally. Marlon Taylor scored 21 for LSU and Tremont Waters added 17.
Arkansas (10-5, 1-2) dropped its second straight home game and fourth home game of the season, the most in the Mike Anderson era.
LSU held a double-digit lead for most of the second half until Reid, who opened the game with a dunk, was forced to the bench after picking up his fourth foul. With Reid on the sideline, Arkansas rallied behind sophomore Daniel Gafford, who scored a career-high 32 points on 14-of-19 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
Gafford led an 11-2 run that turned a 73-64 deficit into a 75-all tie with 4:30 left. His dunk off a feed from Jalen Harris tied the game for the first time since 2-all. The game was tied twice more, the last at 81 on another Gafford dunk with 30 seconds left.
LSU held the final possession, but Tremont Waters missed an off-balance layup and Reid was not able to get the tip-in as the buzzer sounded, sending the game into overtime.
Arkansas took its only lead of the game on the first possession of the extra period on a layup by Gafford. LSU answered on Ja’vonte Smart’s 3-pointer, Reid drained his fourth 3-pointer after an Arkansas miss and LSU was able to close it out.
The Tigers never trailed in the first half and appeared at times on the verge of opening up big leads, but Arkansas got valuable points off its bench, particularly Reggie Chaney who scored 12 points with five rebounds and four steals. Gafford’s layup with 28 seconds left before the half pulled Arkansas within 47-42 before Taylor knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 50-42 halftime lead.
UP NEXT
LSU: The Tigers stay on the road with a Tuesday game at Ole Miss.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks travel to No. 3 Tennessee, also on Tuesday.