Missouri basketball, winners of six of its last seven games, traveled to Knoxville, where head coach Dennis Gates had his team rolling. Facing No. 4 Tennessee, one of the toughest opponents on Mizzou's schedule, the Tigers faced a challenging first half. Despite playing perhaps their best defensive half of the season, Missouri could never build a substantial lead. Their largest advantage was nine points, but Tennessee always remained within striking distance.
Mizzou held the Vols to just 28 points and forced eight turnovers, but the Tigers led by only six at halftime. Missouri's defense continued to impress until Anthony Robinson found himself in severe foul trouble early in the second half. With their best defensive player on the bench, the Tigers struggled to contain Tennessee, which scored 57 points in the second half and ran away with the game.
Tamar Bates kept Missouri in the contest, scoring all 22 of his points in the second half. The Tigers were down by 13 with just four minutes remaining, but Bates' efforts weren't enough as Mizzou fell to the Vols, 85-81, in a disappointing finish.
What looked good vs. Tennessee:
- Only 3 turnovers
- 40% from 3FG on 30 3FGA
- 8 steals (3 from Robinson in 6 min)
What looked bad vs. Tennessee:
- Free throw shooting (19/29)
- Never able to capitalize on Tennessee’s turnovers (8 points off turnovers)
- Multiple guys were in foul trouble (Robinson, Perkins, Bates)
On Saturday, Texas A&M rolled into Columbia as the Tigers prepared to face the 10th-ranked team in the nation. The Aggies got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 12-0 lead. From there, Mizzou battled to stay in the game. When Jacob Crews checked in for the first time, the Tigers found their spark. Crews knocked down three 3-pointers in two minutes, cutting an 11-point Aggie lead to just two, creating a buzz in Mizzou Arena.
Despite Crews’ quick run, Missouri found itself down by nine points at halftime. The game featured strong defensive efforts from both teams, with the intensity of a championship matchup. In the second half, Marcus Allen and Marques Warrick provided solid minutes for head coach Dennis Gates. Mizzou fought its way back, and the game became a back-and-forth battle down the stretch.
With 2.1 seconds remaining, Wade Taylor IV hit a game-winning 3-pointer for the Aggies, handing the Tigers their first home loss of the season.
What looked good vs. Texas A&M:
- Defense looked strong all game long
- Josh Gray and Marcus Allen were tremendous on the glass
- Jacob Crews was able to provide a spark offensively
What looked bad vs. Texas A&M:
- 10 assists to 14 turnovers
- Three-point shooting (5/21)
- Anthony Robinson and Trent Pierce couldn't provide much offensively.
Takeaways from the week:
- Despite 2 losses, this team can compete with any team in the nation in any building
- This team will be fine, this week featured the toughest 2 back-to-back games they have on the schedule
- Free throw shooting will be imperative for them.
Current Record: 17-6 (SEC: 6-4)
Next Week:
Tuesday (2/12): home vs. Oklahoma (8 pm CST)
Saturday (2/15): away at Georgia (2:30 pm CST)