Any joy that had helped the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-5, 0-4 SEC) get off to another good start in hopes of their first conference win of the season on Tuesday at the Pete Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, evaporated with a 22-8 run by the home LSU Tigers (12-5, 1-3 SEC) to end the first half. The run erased a 12-point Razorback lead and gave LSU a 36-34 halftime lead.

Arkansas’ hopes of leaving Baton Rouge with its first conference win of the season were revived with a 9-0 run and an eight-point lead early in the second half, but LSU had to take control with 11 straight points game and held on in the final seconds for a 78-74 win to steal Arkansas’ joy.

Everything John Calipari said after the loss to LSU

“I thought we played with more joy than we had,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said after the game. “I know I trained like that, but like I said, I have to do a better job. I told (the team) after the game, ‘I’m not crazy.’ So let’s just carry on. Let’s prepare for the next one. We have a day off tomorrow and are on the road for two days, another road game.

Arkansas may need the extra day of preparation as Missouri did what Arkansas couldn’t by going on the road and holding on for an 83-82 win over the No. 5 ranked Florida Gators team, which took the Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena.

The physicality is better but still an issue

“They outran us,” Calipari said of LSU. “They caught us, hit us a few balls and made some great plays. I have to do a better job with my team. We’re back to 12. This is the third or fourth game (that’s happened this season). to 12, and suddenly you turn around and you know…

“I thought we were prepared for this moment, but we just lost a few turnovers and missed shots. I’ll watch the video, but they kicked us out. We did some reasonably good things, but not enough.”

Although five players scored in double figures – led by Boogie Fland with 19, Adou Thiero with 13, Jonas Aidoo with 12, DJ Wagner and Johnell Davis with 10 each – Arkansas could not defeat the Tigers, who had Cam Carter’s 27 points and 17 points were led by Jordan Sears. Theiro and Aidoo each had 10 rebounds for Arkansas, recording double-doubles, while LSU led the way with 10 rebounds and seven points from Daimion Collins.

“He was blocking shots and doing things and, you know, we tried to do some things to put him in his place, but you know, we weren’t able to pass the ball at times,” said Calipari on Collins, whom he coached in his last stop as leader of the Kentucky Wildcats. “I thought Jonas did a good job rebounding. He and Adou both had double rebounds and double doubles.”

Problems at the charity

“But, you know, you have to get to the foul line, and we’re a team that usually gets to the foul line. We just couldn’t manage this game. Collins probably had more than most.”

Arkansas improved its foul shooting of late, going 11 of 13 from charity stripe in the game. However, the Hogs were outscored by the home team, who made 26 of their 28 attempts from the foul line.

Looking ahead to the SEC’s remaining 14 games, Calipari continued to take responsibility for another disappointing start to conference play for the University of Arkansas basketball program. The 0-4 start is Arkansas’ first such start since Calipari moved to the SEC from Kentucky in 2008.

However, it is not particularly atypical. In the last seven years, Arkansas has started SEC play 0-3, 1-5, 0-3, 2-6, 3-1, 1-4 and 1-4. In three of those years — two under Calipari’s predecessor Eric Musselman (2021 and 2022) and one under Mike Anderson (2018) — Arkansas set league records and advanced in the NCAA Tournament.

Can Calipari accomplish a similar feat in his first year with the program?

“I’m just disappointed in myself for not being able to get these guys to where we need to get over the hump,” the increasingly beleaguered Naismith Hall of Fame coach added. “I might have to drag them to the finish line in some of these games. And if I have to train like that, I will. I try to create space and give them chances.”