Cameron Thomas scored 21 points and Javonte Smart had 13 of his 19 points in the first half to lead LSU to a 78-71 victory over eighth-ranked Arkansas in a Southeastern Conference semifinal on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.

The third-seeded Tigers (18-8) won their fourth consecutive game and advanced to the SEC final for the first time since 1993.

LSU will take on sixth-ranked Alabama (23-6) in the final on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers lost both games this season against the Crimson Tide by an average of 24 points per game.

Second-seeded Arkansas (22-6) had won nine in a row overall and 12 consecutive games vs. SEC opponents. The Razorbacks fell short in their bid to win their second SEC tournament title and first since 2000.

Moses Moody scored 16 of Arkansas' first 20 points and finished with 20 of his 28 points in the first half. Moody, who hit his first six shots, including four 3-pointers, also had nine rebounds. Justin Smith also had 21 points for the Razorbacks.

The Tigers will try to win their first SEC tournament title since 1980 and second overall.

Tied at 52, LSU went on a 12-0 run to take charge with 7:25 left in the second half.

Arkansas chipped away and cut the deficit to 72-71 with a 9-0 run before Smart's running one-hander near the rim put LSU back up by three with 24.6 seconds left.

JD Notae then turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, losing his dribble and allowing Eric Gaines to come up with the steal. Smart hit a pair of free throws and Gaines hit two more after a missed triple by Davonte Davis.

The Razorbacks missed 11 of their 12 attempts from 3-point range in the second half and made 6-of-26 attempts overall.

LSU used a 14-1 run, taking the lead in the first half on a Darius Days triple with 6:39 left before halftime. The Tigers shot 47.1 percent in the first 20 minutes.

Days finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, and the Tigers shot 9-of-19 from 3-point range. Gaines scored 10 points while Trendon Watford had nine points, seven rebounds and three steals.

--Field Level Media