Clank. That was the sound after Anthony Robinson II shot his 10th free throw of the game, and it hit pure iron. The miss helped propel Mizzou's clip from the charity stripe to 26-of-38, all in all 68.4 percent.
It's a theme that's been all too familiar for Missouri this season, and it came to rear its ugly head again in the Tigers' 85-68 loss to Texas at Mizzou Arena. The second time its happened this season and just the fourth time in the last two seasons the Tigers have lost on their home floor.
Missouri had its chances, but the numbers — and the whistles — told the story in a sometimes clunky and slow-moving 85-68 loss to Texas.
"We had an opportunity when we got stops," Mizzou coach Dennis Gates said. "We were a little bit late to 50-50, loose balls, and obviously offensive rebounds, second chance points are what hurt us."
The game featured 41 personal fouls, and the free-throw line became the clearest separator. Texas went 21-of-23 (91%) at the stripe, while Missouri shot 26-of-38 (68%). The Longhorns also doubled the Tigers in made field goals in the second half, 16 to 8.
Mark Mitchell and Shawn Phillips Jr., in particular, attempted one combined field goal in the second half.
“In the second half, we only had eight made field goals to their 16,” head coach Dennis Gates said. “They doubled us up on that. They made some great shots, and we weren't able to execute. They made some really good one-on-one plays getting in the basketball."
Dailyn Swain scored 25 points, including 18 after halftime, and Matas Vokietaitis added 19 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Pope finished with 15, 12 coming in the second half as Texas pulled away over the final 10 minutes.
Missouri had balanced production at the top. Mark Mitchell and Jayden Stone each scored 16 points, and Anthony Robinson added 11 with two 3-pointers and no turnovers. But missed opportunities compounded. The Tigers left 12 points at the free-throw line and struggled to convert consistently from the field down the stretch.
Mizzou trips over their own feet in a game they needed to win
Texas’s ability to generate contact also stood out. Vokietaitis drew seven fouls, repeatedly putting pressure on Missouri’s interior defense.
“That’s guard stats,” Gates said of the seven fouls drawn. “He does some great things, initiates contact, and is able to go into the situation where we're reacting, and we're the ones getting caught on some of the fouls."
Ultimately, efficiency decided it. Texas nearly flawless at the line. Missouri unable to match second-half shot-making. The result was a game that remained competitive early but widened late, dropping the Tigers to 17-8 overall and 7-5 in SEC play.
"They're well coached, and they're disciplined on the wall-ups [defensively]." They're not the best shot-blocking team, but they're pretty good at altering shots with focus. "Matas down there, Swain, and some of those guys are just kind of fundamentally sound. We probably could have done a better job having some better patience around the rim."