How Mizzou basketball stayed steady, completed blowout win over Texas A&M Aggies
The Missouri men’s basketball team built its lead all the way up to 18 points midway through the second half. The Tigers were seemingly on autopilot, as if they were on their way to another road SEC win against Texas A&M.
Then the Aggies ripped off an 8-0 run to cut it to a 10-point lead with plenty of time left. Mizzou had just seen a similar script play out, when it saw a 14-point lead evaporate at Mississippi State.
But the No. 17-ranked Tigers (8-2, 2-2 SEC) stayed even-keeled this time, taking a timeout. MU forward Kobe Brown hit a pair of shots to keep the Aggies (7-5, 2-4) at a comfortable distance.
MU never looked back in a 68-52 win on Saturday at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas. The Tigers improved to 2-1 in SEC road games — doubling their conference road win total from last season.
“We’ve seen that happen once,” MU guard Javon Pickett said of the Aggies’ run. “Making sure that we stayed locked in. Being steady, having that energy. This game we tried to make sure we didn’t get too high, didn’t get too low. ... We know basketball is a game of runs.”
Mizzou forward Jeremiah Tilmon, who had another stellar game, said MU coach Cuonzo Martin was drilling into his team not to get sidetracked. The Aggies were making a run, and Martin told them they weren’t playing as hard they should’ve been.
The Tigers were down by as many as seven points but pulled away from the Aggies in a 10-0 run to end the first half. While Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams stakes his reputation on defense, MU improved considerably on offense in the second half.
Pickett said the coaching staff preached it was going to be a physical game going into Saturday. That’s the type of game where Mizzou thrives — especially Pickett. He scored 12 points as one of three Tigers in double figures.
“In most cases, when it’s a physical brand, that’s up Javon’s alley, and we need him to be that type of guy,” Martin said. “He’s also one of the guys that can go smaller at the four position.”
Pickett provided the scoring boost; so did Mizzou guard Dru Smith.
Smith, who had been battling a wrist injury, was back to his do-it-all self. He scored a team-high 15 points, adding six rebounds, six assists and four steals. It wasn’t on the best efficiency (6-for-14 shooting), but his defense was again stellar while leading the team with 37 minutes. He was even aggressive on threes, going 2 for 6.
It was Tilmon putting his fingerprints all over the game Saturday, though. The Tigers struggled to get him the ball early, but once Tilmon got going, the Aggies failed to contain him.
Tilmon put up 14 points and 10 rebounds, his third double-double of the season. He also blocked three shots, including one of the chase-down variety that was timed well. Martin said he was “no question the best player on the floor.” Tilmon has been on a tear in conference play, averaging 16 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
“We just kept punching back,” Tilmon said. “Normally, when we play, going back and forth, we just wanted to make sure we just kept the lead. Just keep dealing off of it.”
It wasn’t just about the point totals Saturday, though. Martin said he thought Brown, who had nine points and five rebounds, played his best game ever in a Mizzou uniform. The sophomore starter was engaging defensively while attacking the paint on offense.
It wasn’t all perfect. Mark Smith went just 1 for 8 (1 for 7 on threes) as he’s struggled to find his rhythm in SEC play. Martin said he wants the noted three-point marksman to keep shooting even if he’s struggled in the early bits of the conference season.
The Tigers were back on the court Saturday for the first time since Jan. 5 after a COVID-19 pause on team activities. MU was at full strength for the game. While there were bits of sluggishness early Saturday — which wasn’t helped by the Aggies’ aggressive defense — Missouri settled in for a 41-point second half.
Martin said his team shook off the rust of the layoff, but was also able to rid itself of the vibes of the Mississippi State collapse. He added he wants the Tigers to forget their confusing two losses, but learn from the experiences of defeat in a fine balancing act.
Mizzou improved to a .500 conference record Saturday and will look to tack onto the win streak. The Tigers are set to play host to South Carolina at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Mizzou Arena, their first home game since Dec. 30.
“It was a physical one,” Martin said. “It was one of those ones that you start with boxing gloves on and eventually you get to playing some ball. But it was fun to be a part of.”