Analyzing Arkansas' 90-89 win over No. 19 LSU

Arkansas guard Mason Jones (13) celebrates with guard Keyshawn Embery-Simpson (11) after an NCAA college basketball game against LSU on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, in Baton Rouge, La. Arkansas won 90-89 on Jones' shot. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

Arkansas did everything it needed to do Saturday to win on the road in the Southeastern Conference.

On the backs of tremendous games from Daniel Gafford, Isaiah Joe and Keyshawn Embery-Simpson, and Mason Jones' game-winning runner in the lane with 22 seconds to play, Arkansas has now won three consecutive SEC games following a 1-4 start.

Gafford scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds before fouling out with 2:01 to play. LSU did not have an answer for him and he essentially got whatever he wanted under the rim. He finished the game 11-of-15 from the floor and made 10 of his first 11 shots.

There was a concerted effort to feed Gafford the ball. It was evident from the game's opening possessions as Mike Anderson called for a pair of pick-and-rolls, which turned into four Arkansas points. In two games against the Tigers this season, Gafford has feasted on LSU, averaging 27.5 points on 25-of-34 from the floor. Props to him for bringing a level of toughness on the road you need from your star, especially with opposing bigs gearing up for him.

Jones did not have his best game Saturday, but he did turn in a solid second half. Jones scored 10 points and seven came after halftime to go with three assists and a steal. With the clock winding down and Tremont Waters, one of the best on-ball defenders in the SEC, crowding him, Jones took his time and was composed, sneaking his way into the lane for the game winner.

Embery-Simpson played the best game of his career at the exact right time. Anderson likely knew it was going to take a big night offensively for Arkansas to get out of Baton Rouge with a win and he instilled plenty of trust and confidence in Embery-Simpson, who scored 13 of his career-high-tying 16 points in the first half. He finished the game 6-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-6 from 3-point range.

As I wrote a couple of days ago, Arkansas could take on a different dimension offensively if Embery-Simpson could give the Razorbacks a lift with some perimeter scoring. He did that and then some at LSU. He was a plus-6 in 22 minutes off the bench for Anderson. Only Gabe Osabuohien, who fouled out with 7:33 to play, had a better +/- in the win (plus-7).

After battling a "bug" over the last week, according to Anderson, Joe was back in form Saturday, scoring 18 points and knocking down 4-of-8 from 3-point range. Joe appeared to be over his illness and it was much needed after scoring a combined eight points in 50 minutes over the previous two games.

Everything was clicking for the Razorbacks offensively in the first half, and they paired buckets with stops on the defensive end early in the second half to take a commanding 18-point lead with 13:45 to play. But you knew LSU was going to go on a run, and it did, eventually taking the lead with under four minutes to go on a Ja'vonte Smart layup in transition.

Arkansas essentially played the perfect game offensively, getting big nights from Gafford and Joe and welcomed sparks from Embery-Simpson and Jalen Harris, who had 11 points on an efficient 5-of-7 from the floor. Aside from fouling out with more than four minutes to play, he played an all-around solid game. Osabuohien, too, pitched in a career-high five assists - all in the first half - to go with three charges taken.

Many figured that the success Arkansas had generated in the last 10 days in terms of turnovers forced would go by the wayside with Waters running the point for LSU. That wasn't necessarily the case. The Tigers turned the ball over 21 times and Waters had five - as did Naz Reid - and Skylar Mays had four.

Arkansas scored 24 points off LSU's 21 turnovers. It's the third time in the last four games the Razorbacks have forced at least 20 turnovers and second time in as many road games (Texas Tech).

Arkansas is beginning to figure some things out on both ends, and a shooting night like tonight fuels an upset like this.

But, as I wrote in my live updates blog with better than five minutes to play, the Razorbacks were going to need to come up with a stop at some point to get the win. Arkansas got two in the final 1:15 of the game, and that was the difference. Following Jones' runner, LSU missed its final three shots and each was contested well.

Reid finished with a team-high 19 points in the loss, LSU's first since Dec. 12 at Houston. Arkansas' win also snapped the Tigers' 10-game winning streak and seven-game run through SEC play. Before tonight, LSU had won 18 consecutive games at home. Safe to say February is off to a good start for Anderson.

Arkansas is going to have a happy flight back to Northwest Arkansas. In a few days, the Razorbacks will have a chance to extend their win streak to four SEC games against Vanderbilt and pick up some steam entering two more winnable road games at South Carolina and Missouri.