The Mizzou Tigers, losers of 2 of their last 3 games, traveled to Norman, Oklahoma, to face the Sooners on Wednesday.
To start the game, the Tigers had no answer for Sam Godwin inside, as he scored 6 of the first 8 points for the Sooners. All night long, the Sooners got open looks at the rim and converted accordingly, racking up 48 points in the paint.
In the February 12th win over the Sooners, Jeremiah Fears scored just 8 points as the Tigers won by 24. This time, the opposite could be said, as Fears exploded for a career-high 31 points, but the Sooners won by 12.
While the game wasn’t necessarily a blowout on the scoreboard, the Sooners were in control throughout, and the Tigers lacked energy, losing 96-84 for their third loss in the last 4 games. For what has been a stellar defensive unit all season, the Tigers have allowed an average of over 90 points (90.8) in their last 5 games, 3 of which were losses on the road.
What looked good vs. Oklahoma:
- Mark Mitchell was efficient on 7/8 shooting
- Shot 19/24 as a team from the free throw line
What looked bad vs. Oklahoma:
- Help defense was the worst its been all year long
- Only held a lead for 41 seconds
- By far, this was the worst performance from the Tigers all season long
Coming off a tough loss, the Tigers faced a challenging task as they hosted college basketball blue-blood Kentucky. To start the game, the Tigers’ defense was on full display, holding Kentucky to just 10 points in the first 10 minutes. Despite the stellar defense, the Tigers' offense struggled, shooting just 4-for-17 from the field at the same 10-minute mark. Things began to change for the Wildcats as Kobe Brea got hot from beyond the arc, and Kentucky found its rhythm. The Wildcats’ offense opened up, and they finished the first half with 38 points, leaving the Tigers trailing by 9.
In the second half, the Wildcats extended their lead to 16 points, but the efforts of Marques Warrick and Jacob Crews almost single-handedly carried the Tigers back into the game, cutting Kentucky’s lead to 5. However, Mizzou couldn't complete the comeback as the Wildcats went on to win 91-83. The Tigers “stumbled to the finish line,” having lost 4 of their last 5 games, and have fallen to a #7 seed in the SEC Tournament.
What looked good vs. Kentucky:
- Able to rely on bench’s depth to bring themselves back into games (Crews and Warrick)
- 11/29 3FG
What looked bad vs. Kentucky :
- At times, the Tigers’ lineups looked puzzling to say the least
- Allowed 81 points in the final 30 minutes of play
- Gave up way too many open looks fro beyond the arc, Kentucky shot 11/20 from three
Takeaways from the week:
- When Anthony Robinson is not on the floor, the defensive unit struggles as a whole opposing point guards will score a lot, highlighted by Jeremiah Fears (33 points) and Otega Oweh (22 points)
- Can’t seem to beat teams the second time around (in rematches, the Tigers are 0-3)
- Tamar Bates needs to become a larger part in this teams offensive success
- Mizzou can not outmatch anyone offensively when Josh Gray is on the floor
Current Record: 21-10 (SEC: 10-8)
Next Week:
SEC Tournament: vs. Winner of #10 Mississippi State/#15 LSU (Thursday 3/13, 6 pm CST)