Coming off two straight wins, the Mizzou Tigers entered Wednesday night’s matchup against Texas A&M with a lot more to prove to the rest of the world. Despite sitting at 16-7, the Tigers have flown largely under the radar of the national media. Texas A&M, on the other hand, is the talk of the SEC.
Despite dropping their last two contests to Alabama and Florida, the Aggies have been one of the best teams in the conference all year long. Known for scoring points in bunches and hitting 3-pointers at a high rate, the Aggies did just that as they drained 11 3-pointers in the opening period.
Shooting over 60% on both 2-point and 3-point attempts in the first half, the Aggies got off to a tremendous start. Mizzou managed to stay in the game, largely due to its work on the offensive glass, grabbing 11 offensive rebounds. The Tigers went into halftime down a manageable five points.
In what was undeniably the best game the Tigers played all year, they managed to come back and win in dramatic fashion as Shawn Phillips Jr. made game-winning plays on both sides of the floor, and the Tigers sealed an impressive 86-85 victory on the road.
Winning their third straight game, the Tigers will play host to the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night.
Missouri eyes Texas as tournament dreams become clearer
As the Tigers stand at 17-7, they are right on the bubble of nearly every mainstream “bracketology,” and Saturday’s contest may serve as the boost the Tigers need to propel themselves toward March.
While the Longhorns sit at 14-9, they are still high in the NET rankings at No. 39, a strong component in the eyes of the selection committee.
Set to be a sellout crowd on Saturday night, the Tigers are looking to make their second straight NCAA Tournament, and taking down Texas would be a step in the right direction. As both the Tigers and Texas are on the bubble, this game on Saturday could very well be the deciding factor between who makes the tournament and who misses.
Now the question: “Where do the Tigers have to capitalize?”
The answer: They have to play in transition without turning the ball over. One name to look for on that end for the Tigers is T.O. Barrett.
In his first five career games as a starter for the Tigers, Barrett has averaged just over 16 points per game across those starts, and he has really taken control of the point guard role in the Tigers’ offense.
In addition to Barrett, junior forward Trent Pierce, since coming back for the Tigers, has taken his game to another level this year. Averaging 10.3 points per game, Pierce has been a key piece of the roster since returning to the lineup at the start of January.
Coming off his best game as a Tiger, Shawn Phillips has been a force for the Tigers, and he has found his role within the offense. At 7 feet tall, Phillips is a presence under the rim on both sides, and he has been the perfect counterpart for Mark Mitchell recently.
The game is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. CST on ESPN2 on Saturday.