Mizzou's strong start outweighed by second half struggles in loss at Memphis

The Missouri Tigers suffered a devastating loss in Memphis, setting them back in a direction they were hoping to avoid.

Though it was encouraging to see involvement from the entire 11-man squad on both offense and defense, the Tigers just couldn’t get out of their own way throughout the contest.

In the first half, Mizzou’s defense was stellar. By halftime, they had already tallied eight blocks and two steals while forcing nearly double-digit turnovers. Strong perimeter defense also helped limit Memphis to just 32 first-half points, giving the black and gold Tigers a 10-point lead at the break.

However, early in the second half is where it all fell apart. Mizzou struggled significantly with the Memphis offense compared to the first half, as they were outscored 24-13 in the first 10 minutes of play. That gap only continued to widen as the game continued.

One area where they had constant trouble was fouling. It’s encouraging to see the team play aggressively on defense, but it’s important they learn to be smart about their level of aggression. Mizzou struggled with this, especially when the Blue Tigers attacked the hoop.

That struggle led to several fouls, putting Memphis in the bonus early in the second half and creating numerous opportunities at the free-throw line.

Caleb Grill and Josh Gray both found themselves in early foul trouble, with three and four fouls, respectively. This limited their minutes and aggressive play, decreasing their overall impact.

After leading by as many as 14 points, the Tigers quickly lost their advantage due to sloppy play and an inability to regain momentum, particularly after allowing an 11-0 Memphis run. Once Memphis took the lead with about 10 minutes remaining in the second half, they didn’t relinquish it.

An impressive performance from Blue Tigers sophomore guard PJ Haggerty contributed to the Tigers' second-half collapse, as he scored 22 of his 25 points after halftime. Additionally, Mizzou managed just 33 points in the second half, shooting under 35% from the field, compared to its 42 points on nearly 50% shooting in the first half.

There is much to learn from this game, as Mizzou primarily beat themselves with turnovers, free throws, and coaching adjustments.

There were also positives, particularly in the first half, with aggressive defense and smart shot selection. If the Tigers can learn to sustain this level of play throughout an entire game, they will be a much improved team from last year.

Mizzou's next contest will be its home opener against the Howard Bison on Friday at 7 p.m. CST.