Mizzou lugs program-record road woes into game at Alabama

Missouri’s road futility has reached epic levels.

The Tigers have lost 28 straight road games, which is nearly double the previous program record for the longest road drought — a 16-game skid that started late in the 1976-77 season.

Ironically, that was third-year coach Kim Anderson’s senior season at Mizzou under Norm Stewart, who also presided over a 14-game road losing streak during the mid-1990s.

The Tigers wrapped up the 2013-14 season with five road losses under Frank Haith during Southeastern Conference play and are 0-23 on the road, including 0-20 in SEC play, under Anderson.

The Tigers have lost 25 straight conference games, another dubious program record for futility by seven games.

“The only win we’ve had away from Mizzou Arena was in Orlando this past year,” sophomore guard Terrence Phillips said. “It would mean the world to get a road win.”

The win against Tulane on Nov. 20 in the seventh-place game of the Tire Pros Invitational was notable, because it’s the only victory against an NCAA Division I team away from home during Anderson’s tenure.

It’s not completely unprecedented for Mizzou to struggle in conference.

The Tigers lost 25 of 26 road conference games under Stewart from Feb. 18, 1995 to Feb. 21, 1998 — including 16 consecutive conference road losses to begin the Big 12 era.

The only win during that span was a 63-59 victory Feb. 13, 1996, at Oklahoma State.

Kenpom.com doesn’t like Missouri’s chances of snapping that road skid before 2016-17 ends.

The college basketball analytics website gives the Tigers no better than a 17 percent chance to win any of its remaining away games, including a 12 percent chance to win Wednesday at Alabama.

The high-water mark comes in three games — Jan. 25 at Mississippi State, Feb. 25 at Mississippi and March 4 at Auburn — while kenpom.com gives Mizzou a 2 percent chance to win Feb. 2 at Florida, a 9 percent chance Feb. 18 at Tennessee and an 11 percent chance Feb. 8 at Texas A&M.

The Tigers’ last road win was Jan. 28, 2014, at Arkansas, but there have been glimmers of hope this season.

Mizzou led by six points at halftime Jan. 7 at Georgia before J.J. Frazier powered a second-half rally during the Bulldogs’ 71-66 win.

“The Georgia game was definitely a winnable game …,” said sophomore forward Kevin Puryear, a Blue Springs South graduate. “We just have to learn how to close games and not make mental errors down the stretch.”

The Tigers dug a massive first-half hole Saturday at Arkansas, but a 52 percent shooting performance in the second half was encouraging for Anderson’s offense-starved squad.

“I would hope we gained some confidence, but I’m not really into moral victories,” said Anderson, who said Mizzou lacks any margin for error. “I hope we gain confidence and win a game at some point.”

Confidence is key to winning on the road, but it’s sorely lacking right now for the Tigers, who continue to practice well and play with effort and energy.

“When you can really do your best coaching and be demanding is when you’re winning,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “When you’re struggling and you’re losing, you’ve got to be very careful with your psyche.”

Turning around those monumental struggles won’t be against the Crimson Tide, which has won three of four games to open conference play in 2006 NBA coach of the year Avery Johnson’s second season in Tuscaloosa.

“Avery’s done a tremendous job with this team …,” LSU coach Johnny Jones said. “They’ve done a great job of competing.”

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Mizzou lugs program-record road woes into game at Alabama."