GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU coach Matt McMahon has been talking about Daimion Collins’ 7-foot-5 wingspan for two years now since the 6-9 sophomore forward transferred from Kentucky.
The Tigers flew Air Collins for their first Southeastern Conference victory of the season, 78-74, over Arkansas and Collins’ former coach at Kentucky – new head Hog coach John Calipari – on Tuesday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
One of Collins’ wings blocked 6-8 Arkansas forward Adou Thiero’s layup with four seconds remaining with authority to end the game and LSU’s three-game losing streak with ferocious finality.
In one of the best games of his young college career so far, Collins blocked four shots in all, grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds and scored seven points.
“He’s getting more physical. He’s maturing,” said Calipari, who signed Collins out of Atlanta, Texas, in 2021 to Kentucky and tried to develop him for two seasons without much success amid a load of other talented players.
“I grabbed him in the hallway. I felt happy for him,” Calipari said. “I told our guys, ‘You better go into his body.’ If you don’t, he will block it.”
Asked if Collins played like the prospect Calipari thought he would become, he said, “Yeah. Blocking shots.”
LSU-ARKANSAS IN THE DESPERATION BOWL
Collins’ game-ending block came right in front of Calipari and the Arkansas bench. He stuck his tongue out at no one in particular and began dancing as LSU (12-5, 1-3 SEC) is not 0-for-4 in the league. Arkansas (11-6, 0-4) is.
“I thought he really affected a lot of shots at the rim,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “And that was a fitting way to end the game with that block he made to seal it for us.”
LSU guard Cam Carter, who led all scorers with 27 points, missed the final block.
“I just saw the ball flying,” he said laughing. “I didn’t really see it. Man, Damion is a baller. That dude is a baller from Atlanta, Texas. He’s so tough mentally and physically.”
And Collins did it against 6-11 senior Jonas Aidoo, a transfer from Tennessee who was a first team All-SEC player and made the All-SEC defensive team, as well as 6-10 junior Trevon Brazile and Thiero, who came in scoring 16.9 points a game and 5.7 rebounds. Aidoo and Thiero each had 10 rebounds. Thiero scored 13 points. Aidoo scored 12 and blocked four shots. Guard Boogie Fland led the Razorbacks with 19, including 15 in the second half.
“Daimon was fantastic,” McMahon said. “Thought he gave us really good rim protection. And they’re a load down in the post. Aidoo is an All-SEC player, Brazile, obviously Thiero. His interior defense was huge for us. I love some of those confrontations we were able to win at the rim.”
LSU outrebounded Arkansas, 39-37, and, more importantly, outhustled the Hogs.
JOHN CALIPARI PREDICTED LOSING SKID COULD CONTINUE
“They deserved to win,” Calipari said. “They out-scrapped us.”
But LSU trailed by as many as 12 at 28-16 in the first half before cutting it to 36-34 at the break. The Razorbacks opened up a 52-44 lead with 11:47 to play on a Thiero putback. But LSU embarked on an incredible 20-3 run from that point to 6:07 remained for a 64-55 lead on a Carter 3-pointer.
Arkansas eventually cut that to 68-65 with 3:29 left, but LSU kept scoring and defending. The Hogs finally got to within 76-74 with 28 seconds left on two Thiero free throws. But Jordan Sears hit two free throws with 21 seconds left for the final and finished with 17 as LSU’s defense and Collins stuffed Arkansas, which missed its final three shots.
“It feels great to get a W,” Sears said.
“We’ve got a lot more to go, but you’ve got to thank the Lord first. He opened the door for us,” Carter said.
“If there’s relief in winning, you need to find something else to do,” McMahon said when asked if the win spelled that. “There should be celebration and great joy.”
You could feel it.
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