Did Mizzou’s loss to Tennessee ruin the Tigers’ chances of hosting NCAA tourney games?

The momentum from Missouri’s upset at No. 5 Mississippi State lasted all of three days.

After winning in Starkville, Miss., on Thursday, the Tigers (19-8, 8-5 SEC) fell 62-60 to Tennessee (17-8, 6-6 SEC) Sunday night, hurting Missouri’s chances of hosting games in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Amber Smith led Missouri with 14 points while Sophie Cunningham and Cierra Porter each had 13.

How much this loss hurts depends upon who you ask.

ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme tweeted shortly after the game that he doesn’t think it changes Missouri’s situation.

“The loss doesn’t hurt Missouri at all given the losses by Michigan St and Texas today,” Creme tweeted.

The Tigers were a No. 7 seed in Creme’s mock bracket last Monday but will likely move up a seed after their upset win over the Bulldogs. While hosting may be a long shot, Missouri can still get up to a No. 5 seed if the Tigers win out in the regular season.

Missouri’s situation was already going to be up in the air given that the Tigers likely had to run the table and maybe win a game or two in the SEC tournament.

The Volunteers hung with the Tigers for most of the game and took a two-point lead with 52 seconds left on a pair of free throws by Rennia Davis.

The Tigers missed a three-point attempt on their following possession and then turned it over after a UT player kicked the ball and it wasn’t called. Officials can’t review plays for possible kicked balls.

After a defensive stop, Missouri still had a chance to tie or win the game when Sophie Cunningham drove to the basket and kicked out to Akira Levy. But Levy’s three-point attempt rimmed out.

Pingeton didn’t think Missouri’s defensive stop changed the officials’ impact on the end of the game.

“I think it was a pretty big call,” she said.

Missouri got the ball back with three-tenths of a second left, and while Jordan Chavis’ half-court heave went in, it was well after the final buzzer sounded. Pingeton said she thought Chavis knew that there wasn’t enough time on the clock to dribble, but she dribbled once before shooting.

Tensions ran high the last time Missouri played UT, a game that ended in a 66-64 MU win. Missouri guard Lauren Aldridge was accused of clapping in Vols coach Holly Warlick’s face, and one of UT’s assistants refused to shake Cunningham’s hand in the post-game line, which led to an exchange of words between the Columbia native and UT’s players.

The incident led to multiple former UT players calling out Pingeton and Cunningham on social media, which surprised Missouri’s coach. Warlick said she never was upset at Missouri after the Tigers’ win in Knoxville and echoed Pingeton’s words.

“I’m worried about losing basketball games,” Warlick said. “I don’t have social media. I don’t worry about it.”

This story was originally published February 17, 2019 at 9:00 PM.