How the Mizzou Tigers prevailed again with late-game execution and beat Kentucky
The Missouri men’s basketball team enjoyed its largest lead of the game at halftime. The Tigers were up 13 and looked like they were about to run away against a struggling Kentucky squad.
The Wildcats responded right away in the second half. No. 18-ranked Mizzou saw its lead shrink … shrink … shrink until it was just a one-point game with plenty of time left.
Then Mizzou guard Dru Smith hit a layup. So did MU guard Xavier Pinson. The Tigers’ lead yo-yoed back-and-forth from slim to comfortable, but there was one constant: Kentucky never took the lead.
The Tigers clamped down on defense late as Kentucky scored just five points in the final 4:53 of the game. It wasn’t always smooth, but Missouri secured the 75-70 win on Wednesday in Mizzou Arena.
“They understand it’s hard to be successful,” Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin said. “When you have a majority of the guys who have been through a lot, some bumps in the road, they learned some valuable lessons. They have a passion for each other.”
There was no need for a Mizzou comeback because it sprinted out from the gate. Kentucky hit just one of its first seven shots while the three-pointers wouldn’t stop falling for the Tigers.
Missouri (12-3, 5-3 SEC) hit 7 of 11 three-pointers by halftime, the main reason why it was ahead by 13 points. The Tigers only had four free throw attempts, but that was because they weren’t getting to the paint courtesy of all those outside shots.
The script completely flipped in the second half. While Kentucky (5-11, 4-5) made it ugly defensively — exactly what UK coach John Calipari’s team wanted to do — the Tigers got to the free throw line.
The three-pointers dried up for the Tigers (2 for 10 in the second half), but they stockpiled heavily on free throws. It slowed the game considerably, where Kentucky’s momentum was stalled by the clock stopping and a Tiger lining up at the free throw line.
Smith feasted from the free throw line, finishing with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists. He scored 16 second-half points despite attempting just three field goals. Smith shot 12 for 14 from the line as he drew droves of whistles.
“It was probably just the way they were playing defense a little bit. I’m sure they talked about it at the half,” Smith said. “They were giving guys a lot of open looks there in the first half. They were up in us a little bit more. We were doing a good job of drawing fouls and getting to the line there in the second half.”
Mizzou again showed life late, improving to 4-0 in games decided by five points or fewer. Martin admitted with a chuckle there was some luck involved, though in such a small sample size, there’s not too much discernable.
The Tigers soared with the late-game heroics. It was similar to other victories this season — TCU, Illinois and Bradley — showcasing once again how Mizzou’s wisdom helps down the stretch.
“We’ve experienced it enough,” Martin said of close games. “We’ve seen a lot of things. We’ve done a good job as of late of taking care of the basketball.”
Pinson scored 14 points and had four assists. Mark Smith added 11 points, including three three-pointers as he works his way from the bench. Forward Mitchell Smith, too, was a factor with 12 rebounds, though his 1 for 6 three-point shooting left fans wanting a few more makes.
That sets up one of the best matchups in the SEC on Saturday. The Tigers go up against No. 10 Alabama for the first time this season. The Tide (15-4, 10-0) have been perfect in SEC play and the Tigers are the next team at the top of the conference standings.
“Our guys were aggressive,” Martin said. “I thought we did a great job of getting into the paint. We kind of met our numbers so to speak on paint touches, via post. Offensive rebounds. I thought those threes were open too because of penetration.”