Missouri basketball gets closed out at home in overtime by Arkansas in rivalry game
The threes were falling all day for the Missouri men’s basketball team, but the late game-tying attempt only hit air as the Tigers were outlasted 86-81 in overtime on Saturday in Mizzou Arena.
It was a different style of game for the No. 10-ranked Tigers (13-5, 6-5 in the SEC) as the jump shots kept falling throughout regulation. In their first win over the Hogs this season, MU dominated in the paint.
Missouri adjusted the script, but it wasn’t enough for the victory. The Tigers hit a season-high 13 three-pointers, shooting 40.6% (13 for 32) from behind the arc. They went away from the threes in overtime, choosing to attack the basket instead. The free throws were plentiful, but Mizzou couldn’t close it out.
It was a stellar shooting day, but Mizzou missed senior forward Jeremiah Tilmon, who was unavailable for Saturday’s game because of personal reasons. Forward Mitchell Smith slid into the starting lineup in Tilmon’s absence, though he fouled out.
Mizzou fell to 5-1 in Rally For Rhyan games, its first loss in the annual tradition to raise funds for pediatric cancer. The event is in honor of Rhyan Loos, who was diagnosed with leukemia at 5 years old but has been in remission for more than four years. Rhyan’s dad, Brad Loos, was a former assistant under coach Kim Anderson and now an MU assistant athletic director for major gifts.
The Tigers played solid defense Saturday, but only through the first half. The Hogs hit 33.3% of their field goals in the opening 20 minutes, but upped the offense after the break. Arkansas shot 59.3% in the second half. The Hogs hit 7 of 9 free throws in overtime to shut the door on the Tigers.
Mizzou guard Xavier Pinson led the team in scoring with 23 points, including 5 of 8 from three. But his game-tying three with seconds left in overtime was off the mark. MU guard Dru Smith had 15 points, four rebounds and seven assists, extending his streak to 10 straight games scoring in double figures.
The Hogs outplayed the Tigers down the stretch despite MU forcing overtime with perfect late-game execution. Arkansas (16-5, 8-4) won its sixth straight SEC game. The Hogs were led by forward Justin Smith, who had 19 points and six rebounds.
Mizzou travels to face Georgia at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia. The Bulldogs impressed when they went 7-0 in the non-conference, but bring a 5-8 SEC record to the game.