Free throws dry up as Mizzou basketball finishes with whimper against Alabama
The Missouri Tigers were within striking distance as the Alabama crowd grew nervous.
After watching a Crimson Tide lead swell to 12 points, Mizzou cut it to three points on multiple occasions on Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. But the Tigers (9-8, 1-4 SEC) were unable to execute down the stretch, finishing with a whipmer in their 88-74 loss to the Crimson Tide (10-7, 3-2).
Mizzou converted on just 3 of its final 19 field-goal attempts, missing open shots. A Reed Nikko layup made it a 73-70 game with 6 minutes, 23 seconds left, but then the Crimson Tide stormed through in a 15-4 run, firmly shutting the door on any Mizzou comeback attempt.
“We missed a couple baskets there close to the rim, in the paint,” Missouri guard Dru Smith said. We got good looks. We got Mark (Smith) a few open threes. I’ll take that shot any day. Shots didn’t really fall down the stretch, but I think it was a good effort.”
The free throws dried up for Mizzou. After emphasizing to drive the ball and get to the rim, the Tigers earned fouls by attacking the basket. They finished 31 for 31 from the charity stripe, a school record for consecutive made free throws.
But in the final 7 minutes, 34 seconds, Mizzou didn’t attempt a single free throw. The Tigers pointed out how they earned uncontested shots, especially from guard Mark Smith. But the looks didn’t fall as the game slipped away.
“It’s just tough to be open like that and not knock them down,” Mark Smith said. “Down the end of the stretch, they made a couple baskets. We missed some open shots. Just felt like that was the biggest difference.”
It was a mixed effort offensively for the Tigers. Their ability to penetrate the Alabama defense led to the free throws, which MU head coach Cuonzo Martin said he was “proud” of from his team. But from the floor, it was a different story as the field goals refused to fall.
The Tigers weathered a stretch of 10 minutes, 47 seconds in the first half where they missed 10 straight field goals. While they kept it close by making free throws, it allowed Alabama to control and build the lead in the opening 20 minutes.
“As a team, we need to focus on the scouting report,” Mark Smith said. “We can win games and compete with anyone, but we just gotta focus a little better on the scouting report.”
And in the first half, Alabama was red-hot. The Crimson Tide made 44 percent (11 for 25) on three-pointers in the first half. But when the Mizzou defense perked up, Alabama shot 14.3 percent (2 for 14) on threes in the second half, allowing Mizzou back into the game.
But it was a rough defensive showing for the Tigers: They allowed a season-high 88 points.
Martin warned before the game of Alabama forward Alex Reese’s impact. Reese can stretch the floor and hit threes. And he did; he helped bury the Tigers early on his way to 17 points. Each player in Alabama’s starting lineup scored in double-figures, John Petty Jr. leading the way with 20 points.
“They moved the ball real well,” MU forward Kobe Brown said. “We kind of let the point guard get in the lane, too many paint touches. They got a lot of open kick-outs. We just gotta close those and cover that next time.”
There were some positives to draw from the performance, Martin said. He pointed out Mizzou’s willingness to drive the ball and draw fouls, which has been a focal point all season. Dru Smith also was back to his do-it-all self, scoring 18 points. Mark Smith netted 15 points, though he said the missed three-pointers still hurt.
After a rough start to SEC play, Martin said the Tigers need to learn from the loss, especially after going 0-2 on the road this week. Mizzou’s next game is against Texas A&M at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Mizzou Arena.
“We just know that we gotta get back and protect our home court,” Dru Smith said. “We gotta forget about these last two games. We gotta learn from them, not just leave them in the past.”