Mizzou Hoops Suffers Heart-Breaking Loss in Final Seconds Against No. 10 Texas A&M

In what promised to be a great matchup, both Missouri and Texas A&M entered Saturday's contest with identical 17-5 records, each sporting a 6-3 mark within the SEC this season. Both are focused on securing a double-bye in next month's SEC Tournament.

The Texas A&M defense was as advertised from the start. Zhuric Phelps, who averages 1.8 steals per game (9th in the SEC), recorded an early steal that led to a bucket. A few more strong defensive stands quickly stretched Mizzou’s early deficit to 12-0, more than five minutes into the game, prompting a Tiger timeout.

Multiple offensive rebounds on several possessions gave Texas A&M several opportunities to find a shot, which they capitalized on repeatedly. The Aggies lead the NCAA in offensive rebounds this season.

It took a Tamar Bates corner three, off a nice dish from Mark Mitchell, to get the scoring started and settle the home crowd. Bates picked up right where he left off on the next possession, adding a layup.

Fouls and turnovers were an early issue for the Tigers. They committed 3 turnovers before seven minutes had passed in the contest, after only turning the ball over 3 times in their matchup against No. 4 Tennessee on Wednesday.

Despite the offense waking up, thanks to a brief run by Bates and Mitchell, the defense couldn’t contain the Aggies, particularly when it came to rebounding. The Tigers were outrebounded 9-3 in the first eight minutes of the game and 19-12 in the first half.

A Jacob Crews three sparked some life into both the Mizzou players and the home crowd. He followed up with two more on back-to-back shots, cutting the lead to just three and potentially igniting a big run for the Tigers.

What was a 9-0 Mizzou run was halted by a pair of Texas A&M free throws, but Mitchell found a lane to the basket on the next two possessions. Somehow, the Tigers managed to tie the game at 20, after being down 12-0 not long before.

The run didn’t deflate the Aggies, however, as their offense didn’t lose a step, and their defense continued to stifle the Tigers, forcing multiple turnovers, including a shot clock violation.

Ball movement was nearly unstoppable at times for the Texas A&M offense, and combined with their defense, they were able to string together a few strong possessions, extending their lead back up to 10 with three and a half minutes to go.

After tying the game at 20 with over eight minutes to play, Mizzou went the rest of the half without scoring a field goal—certainly a recipe for disaster against a team of this caliber.

They did end the half with 9 made free throws, shooting 9-of-12 overall in the half. The deficit stood at 38-29 when the clock hit zero.

Neither team shot well from deep, as the Aggies went 2-of-8, while the Tigers shot 4-of-13. Overall, the home team was outshot, converting just 35% from the field compared to 50% for the visiting squad.

Head coach Dennis Gates must have talked some sense into his roster, as they came out of the half firing, finally ending the long field goal drought. Mitchell got involved early, scoring 10 points just a couple of minutes into the second half.

Guard Tony Perkins, who had a career night on Wednesday, forced a steal and dunked it home to ignite Mizzou Arena. He added another layup off a steal a few possessions later, with the lead now at 44-39 in favor of the visiting Aggies.

Throughout the game, every time the Tigers made a serious run and threatened Texas A&M by potentially taking the lead, the Aggies would respond with a run of their own, maintaining a comfortable distance.

The defenses really came to play in the early minutes of the second half. Both offenses endured simultaneous scoring droughts of over four minutes. Texas A&M was 0-of-5, while Mizzou was 1-of-7 in the half, before a Caleb Grill dunk ended their drought.

The Aggies' best players, Phelps and Wade Taylor IV, both got into foul trouble, with three and four fouls respectively, forcing them out of the contest altogether.

Finally, a steal led to a Bates dunk, which energized the home crowd and tied the game at 49 with under ten minutes to play. Meanwhile, Texas A&M had gone over five minutes without scoring.

That scoreless stretch, which included a 10-0 Mizzou run, lasted over seven minutes. Not only were the Tigers scoring, but they also outrebounded the Aggies, providing a strong response after being outrebounded in the first half.

After starting the game down 12-0, the Tigers did what they’ve done best all season long—respond to adversity—and took the lead at 51-49, their first of the game. A Bates logo three extended the run to 15-2 over seven and a half minutes, giving the home team a five-point lead and forcing a timeout by head coach Buzz Williams.

The last two minutes were a showcase of high-level basketball, with smart offense and solid defense on both sides. The lead went back and forth, and Texas A&M had gained control before Marques Warrick stole the ball and lobbed it to Bates for a one-point lead.

But the Aggies called a timeout, giving themselves a full ten seconds to find a shot in a tied 64-64 game. Taylor IV, as he’s done all season, found a way to get a good look and nailed a deep three to give Texas A&M a 67-64 lead with just over two seconds to play.

The Tigers couldn’t respond, failing to make it the full length of the court, and lost this one in heartbreaking fashion. It marks their second straight loss, and in a crucial moment, Mizzou has suddenly dropped two in a row.

The three-point shooting never really got going, and Mizzou struggled to find opportunities throughout the game. Apart from Crews, their usual deep threats, such as Caleb Grill, never found their rhythm.

The Tigers will host Oklahoma on Wednesday night, and they'll do everything they can to get back in the win column.