Khalif Battle, Arkansas prove to be too much to handle for LSU

Khalif Battle scored 29 points and Arkansas coasted to a 94-83 victory over LSU on Wednesday night in Fayetteville, Ark.

Battle fell short of a fourth consecutive game with 30-plus points, but it didn't matter, as Arkansas shot 60.8 percent from the floor.

Makhi Mitchell added 19 points and El Ellis scored 16 for the Razorbacks (15-15, 6-11 Southeastern Conference).

Jordan Wright scored 24 points, Tyrell Ward had 19 and Trae Hannibal added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (16-14, 8-9), who had won four of their past five games. Derek Fountain supplied 10 points.

The Razorbacks scored the first four points of the second half, and Chandler Lawson soon added a three-point play that increased Arkansas' lead to 49-37 with 18:38 left.

Ward scored five points and Wright added four free throws to help the Tigers get within 53-49. They got within four points two more times before Mitchell made two free throws and a layup and Battle made a 3-pointer for a 67-56 lead with 10:09 remaining.

LSU scored the next six points and got within five twice before Mitchell made back-to-back baskets to help Arkansas build the lead to 80-66 with 4:08 to go.

Arkansas scored the first four points of the game, but Hannibal later converted a three-point play to give LSU its only lead of the contest, 7-6.

Ellis made a jumper, Battle made two free throws and Davonte Davis made three foul shots to give the Razorbacks a 13-7 lead with 14:45 left in the first half.

The Tigers made it a two-point game with 14 minutes on the clock, but Mitchell rattled off four quick points and Ellis added a 3-pointer to help increase the lead to 22-13.

Wright's 3-pointer got LSU within six points with 8:33 to play, but two free throws by Battle and a dunk by Mitchell gave Arkansas a 29-19 lead.

Back-to-back layups by Jalen Reed helped the Tigers close within four points ahead of a 7-0 run from Arkansas. The Razorbacks ended up taking a 42-35 lead into the break.