Mizzou basketball falters late against Mississippi State, home winning streak snapped
The Missouri Tigers’ hot streak was halted by the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a 67-63 loss on Saturday.
The Tigers (14-15, 6-10 SEC) kept it close, but the Bulldogs (19-10, 10-6) pulled away at the end. The loss snapped a four-game home winning streak for the Tigers as they lost at Mizzou Arena for the first time since Jan. 21.
The game was defined by runs as the two teams traded stretches of success.
While the Tigers and Bulldogs battled early, the visitors used a 13-4 first half run to take a lead at halftime. Mississippi State shot 58.3% as part of a balanced scoring effort. They wouldn’t give up the lead from there.
When Mizzou trimmed it to a three-point deficit early in the second half, Mississippi State then opened up an 11-point lead. But the Tigers answered with a 13-2 run to tie the score midway through the second half.
The Tigers looked like they were about to break through, but failed to do so. They got it down to a two-point game late, but couldn’t get over the hump. Missed shots were their downfall as they shot 36.7% from the field.
“You always want to attack,” Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin said. “You want to get to the free throw line. You want to be aggressive.”
Mizzou guard Xavier Pinson was his attack-first self, though it came with mixed results. He scored 20 points but was 7 for 21 from the field, including five rebounds. MU guard Dru Smith was huge for the Tigers, scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Forward Mitchell Smith had 10 points, though he fouled out in the second half.
Mississippi State guard Tyson Carter had 15 points to lead the Bulldogs.
Mizzou travels next to Mississippi for an 8 p.m. Wednesday game in Oxford.
“We always say take good shots,” Martin said. “I thought we had a lot of open shots. ... We have opportunities to drive the ball, you gotta drive, get in the lane.”
This story was originally published February 29, 2020 at 4:34 PM.