FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It was one of those Arkansas winter days where the snow doesn’t ask permission and the cold settles in early.
Temperatures stayed below freezing all day. Snow fell from morning through night. Fayetteville looked more like a snow globe than a basketball town.
Inside Bud Walton Arena, though, Darius Acuff Jr. decided it was shorts weather.
The freshman guard poured in 31 points, including 24 in the second half, as Arkansas basketball beat LSU 85-81 on a frozen Saturday that needed something warm to believe in. Acuff provided it. Over and over again.
This wasn’t a smooth win. It wasn’t a pretty win. But it was a win that felt bigger than four points, especially given the weather, the slow start, and the pressure late.
Outside, snow piled up. Inside, Acuff caught fire.
LSU came in ready to grind. The Tigers controlled the paint early, grabbed second-chance points, and made Arkansas work for every look. The Razorbacks looked tight in the first half, missing shots and struggling to string together stops.
At halftime, LSU led 37-33, and it felt colder than the temperature reading.
Arkansas needed heat. It got it from the freshman.
Cold start, then a spark
Acuff didn’t dominate early. No one did.
The first half felt like a snow-day pickup game where everyone needed a few minutes to loosen up. Shots were rushed. Possessions felt heavy.
LSU used that to its advantage. The Tigers attacked the rim and worked the glass. Arkansas stayed close but couldn’t flip momentum before the break.
Then the second half started, and Acuff looked like he’d found a heater somewhere under the bench.
He scored from everywhere. Pull-up jumpers. Threes in rhythm. Tough shots late in the clock. At one point, it felt like every Arkansas possession ended the same way — Acuff rising, releasing, and jogging back on defense.
The Razorbacks went on a run midway through the half, making nine straight field goals. Acuff either scored or assisted on every one of them. That stretch turned a tight game into Arkansas’ game to lose.
It was the kind of run that makes an arena forget about snow, roads, and frozen windshields.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, Acuff had 31 points, the best scoring night of his young career. He shot 10-of-11 in the second half, including three made threes, and played with the calm of someone who didn’t care how cold it was outside.
He wasn’t forcing shots. He wasn’t rushing. He just kept taking what LSU gave him and turning it into points.
Acuff takes over the night
Freshman Meleek Thomas added 13 points, and Billy Richmond III chipped in 11, but this night belonged to Acuff. When Arkansas needed a bucket, he delivered. When LSU cut the lead, he answered.
It didn’t matter that the Razorbacks struggled at the free-throw line. They made just 7 of 18, which normally spells trouble in a close SEC game. But Acuff’s shooting from the field covered for it.
Sometimes, one hot hand can cancel out a lot of mistakes.
LSU didn’t play poorly. That’s what will makes this loss sting for awhile. Getting close to a road win in the SEC tends to linger
The Tigers outscored Arkansas in the paint and finished with 19 second-chance points. All five starters scored in double figures. Dedan Thomas Jr. led the way with 18 points, while Pablo Tamba added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
LSU did almost everything right except finish.
Late in the game, with Arkansas clinging to a three-point lead, Acuff missed two free throws. LSU had a chance. One good shot could’ve changed the night.
It didn’t fall. That miss will hang around for the Tigers. Long after the snow melts.
What cold night meant for Arkansas
For Arkansas, this win meant more than just another SEC notch.
It showed the Razorbacks could survive an ugly start, handle pressure, and close a game when things weren’t perfect. That matters in February. It matters in March.
The Hogs improved to 15-5 overall and 5-2 in SEC play, staying near the top of the conference. More importantly, they showed they have a freshman who isn’t afraid of the moment.
On a day when Fayetteville never got above freezing, Acuff stayed hot for 20 straight minutes. That’s not something you teach.
Fans left walking into the snow with something to talk about. Roads were slick. Windshields were iced over. But Arkansas fans left warmed by what they’d just seen.
A freshman guard carrying the load. A team finding its edge. A winter night that turned into something memorable.
Cold outside. Fire inside.
