Cam Carter scored 27 points, Jordan Sears added 17 and LSU claimed its first SEC victory by defeating Arkansas 78-74 on Tuesday night in Baton Rouge, La.

The Tigers (12-5, 1-3) overcame a slow start with a second-half spurt then hung on.

Boogie Fland scored 19 points, Adou Thiero had 13 points and 10 rebounds, Jonas Aidoo had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Johnell Davis and D.J. Wagner added 10 points each to lead the Razorbacks (11-6, 0-4).

After scoring the last five points of the first half, LSU scored the first four of the second half to take a 38-36 lead. Fland’s 3-pointer briefly gave Arkansas the lead before Dji Bailey’s basket and Carter’s 3-pointer gave the Tigers a 43-39 lead.

Thiero had four points during an 11-0 run that gave the Razorbacks a seven-point lead. Mike Williams III made a 3-pointer for LSU’s first field goal in 5:22, which started a 14-0 run that gave the Tigers a 58-52 lead midway through the half.

The run ended on a layup by Thiero before Carter scored five straight points to help LSU open a 64-55 lead. Fland scored Arkansas’ next 10 points, trimming the deficit to three, but Sears answered with a layup and Carter added a basket with 2:34 left.

The Razorbacks got within four on a 3-pointer by Trevon Brazile; and, after a Tigers turnover, Thiero made two free throws with 2 seconds left. Sears made two free throws to complete the scoring.

Arkansas made four free throws and Brazile added a 3-pointer for an 11-4 lead. Derek Fountain made four field goals to help the Tigers pull even for the first time at 13-13.

The score was tied again at 16 before Wagner made a 3-pointer and Davis added the final five points of a 12-0 run by the Razorbacks. Carter’s jumper ended LSU’s scoring drought of 3:44 and the Tigers scored five more to climb within 28-23.

The teams matched scoring until Carter made a 3-pointer with three seconds left to trim the deficit to 36-34 at halftime.