MU notes: Ryan Rosburg has solid game against Mississippi State; two freshmen reinstated

Missouri junior Ryan Rosburg put together his first double-digit scoring game of the season Saturday in a 77-74 loss against Mississippi State at Mizzou Arena.

And he did it with a little style.

Rosburg scored twice on reverse layups and brought the crowd of 8,278 to its feet with a two-handed jam off an alley-oop pass from senior Keith Shamburger en route to a season-best 12 points.

“It was great to get involved,” Rosburg said. “I don’t know if there was anything different, in particular. I knew (sophomore guard) Wes (Clark) was down and we needed scoring. I had to step up, so I went ahead and stepped up.”

Rosburg was one of the few bright spots in the first half for the Tigers offensively.

He hit all four attempts from the field, while the rest of MU’s squad shot below 30 percent (eight of 27 overall).

Rosburg, who finished six of seven from the field, said he didn’t do anything unusual, but “shots just started falling.”

Wright, Gill-Caesar reinstated

Missouri played its first full game without Clark, who is out for the season after suffering a dislocated right elbow Tuesday at South Carolina, but the return of freshmen guards Namon Wright and Montaque Gill-Caesar from suspension bolstered the backcourt’s depth.

Gill-Caesar and Wright had missed the Texas A&M and South Carolina games for an unspecified violation of team rules, but both were reinstated against Mississippi State.

Collectively, Wright and Gill-Caesar were three of 15 from the field, one of nine from three-point range and one of four from the free-throw line.

The pair combined for eight points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and five turnovers.

Another Tigers freshman guard, Tramaine Isabell, remained suspended. He has missed five straight games because of a poor attitude and improper behavior toward teammates and coaches.

First half

▪ Key play: Pick one of the seven consecutive baskets Mississippi State made between the 12:09 mark and the 4:35 mark.

▪ Key stat: While the Bulldogs shot 66.7 percent from the field, Missouri was 12 of 31, an icy 38.7 percent that included a four-for-14 performance from three-point range.

Second half

▪ Key play: One possession after Missouri took its first and only lead of the second half, Mississippi State senior Roquez Johnson rebounded teammate Travis Daniels’ errant three-pointer and restored the lead with an old-fashioned three-point play.

▪ Key stat: Sophomore forward Johnathan Williams III scored 23 of his game- and career-high 27 in the second half to power Missouri’s comeback.

This story was originally published February 14, 2015 at 1:38 PM with the headline "MU notes: Ryan Rosburg has solid game against Mississippi State; two freshmen reinstated."