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Arkansas came up just short in a game that saw five lead changes in the final two and a half minutes Wednesday night.

Isaiah Joe and Desi Sills each appeared to draw contact on three-point attempts in the closing seconds, but LSU was credited with blocks and escaped with a 79-77 victory inside the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, La.

Ultimately, a three-point play by Trendon Watford with 8.4 seconds remaining proved to be the difference in the game.

It was actually his second old-fashioned three-pointer in the final 32 seconds, as he converted one before Joe briefly gave the Razorbacks the lead with a three-point play of his own with 21.3 seconds remaining.

Adrio Bailey blocked a Skylar Mays shot on the next trip down the floor, but it went out of bounds and LSU capitalized by getting the ball to its star freshman, who finished with a team-high 21 points.

The loss is just the second of the season for Arkansas, which falls to 12-2 overall and 1-1 in SEC play. Its other loss was also on the road, coming in overtime at Western Kentucky.

Starting with Mason Jones knocking down a three-pointer on the game’s opening possession, though, Arkansas controlled most of the first half.

The Razorbacks led for the first four and a half minutes, but couldn’t push it past a four-point margin because LSU was dominating the boards. It grabbed seven of the first nine rebounds and ended the half out-rebounding Arkansas 25-13.

A pair of free throws by Watford gave the Tigers their first lead of the night and was the first of eight lead changes during an eight-minute stretch. It was never more than a one-possession game as the teams exchanged blows, with Jimmy Whitt Jr. keeping the Razorbacks in it by knocking down his first five shots.

Mays converted a three-point play to give LSU a 24-23 lead with eight minutes left in the half, but Arkansas responded by going on a 12-0 run. The Razorbacks did most of their damage by forcing turnovers and getting out in transition, capped by Jones knocking down a deep three to give them an 11-point lead.

It seemed like a turnover by Jones leading to a fast break layup would get the Tigers back into it, but Jones hit another push it back out to 10. He scored 15 of his 24 points in the first half.

Instead, LSU - which made just one of its first seven shots beyond the arc - chipped away at the lead with back-to-back deep threes by Darius Days from the top of the key. Days entered the night shooting just 28.1 percent from three-point range.

The Razorbacks’ 11-point lead with four minutes left in the half dwindled to three by the end of the half thanks to a mental lapse by Reggie Chaney. After committing a foul, he slapped the ball into the stands and received a technical.

In addition to picking up his fourth foul in seven minutes of action, Chaney essentially gave LSU two free points, as Mays - an 85.7 percent free throw shooter - knocked down both technical shots and Days, who was originally fouled, made one of two to make it 40-37.

The Tigers completely erased that deficit a couple minutes into the second half when Emmitt Williams hit Javonte Smart on a back-door cut for a layup that put them up by one.

Arkansas’ issues on the boards continued after halftime, as evidenced by Days tracking down a missed free throw by Williams and the ball eventually ending up in Mays’ hands for a deep three. That shot sparked an 8-0 run that put LSU up by seven.

Held scoreless for the first 24 minutes of the game, Joe finally connected on a three-pointer to end the run.

The Razorbacks managed to get back within two, but the score got stuck at 58-56, as they squandered three opportunities to tie or take the lead. After a couple of minutes, Joe came up with a steal and fast break layup to tie it up.

Offensive rebounds helped LSU hold on to the lead, but Arkansas never let them get too far out in front. Shortly after making another shot from beyond the arc to pull within one, Joe got fouled and hit both free throws to give Arkansas its first lead since losing it early in the half with 5:27 remaining.

The Razorbacks still held a one-point lead when Mays made a layup for the first of five lead changes in the final two and a half minutes. It took nearly two minutes for the next one, though, and it came one a mid-range jumper by Whitt. That shot gave him 22 points on an efficient 9-of-13 shooting.

LSU immediately called a timeout and got the first of two Watford and-one buckets. The one with 32.3 seconds left was particularly costly because Jones fouled out on the play.

With its go-to guy out of the game, Arkansas turned to Joe, who got it done on a drive to the basket on his first late-game opportunity, but was his potential game-winning three-pointer was blocked by Charles Manning Jr. in the closing seconds. Sills came up with the loose ball, but his three-pointer was also blocked by Manning.

Despite the slow start, Joe finished with 13 points. It wasn’t enough to overcome the massive 53-24 rebounding edge for the Tigers, though.

The Razorbacks entered the game with an all-time high defensive rebounding percentage of 72.2, but LSU had a whopping 23 offensive boards compared to Arkansas’ 21 defensive rebounds. That led to 26 second-change points for the Tigers.

Arkansas will be on the road again Saturday, traveling to Oxford, Miss., to take on Ole Miss (9-5, 0-1 SEC). Tip off is scheduled for 5 p.m. and the game will be televised on the SEC Network.