After another loss, handling adversity is Missouri Tigers’ next lesson
Learning how to stop a tailspin is the immediate objective for Missouri men’s basketball.
After climbing into the nation’s top 10 two weeks ago, the Tigers now own a three game losing streak with Tuesday’s 80-70 setback at Georgia.
The script was familiar. Mizzou put together a good first first half then let it get away after the break.
In the loss that started the streak, the Tigers trailed at Mississippi by five at halftime and fell by 24. On Saturday in Columbia, the Tigers led Arkansas by four at the break and lost in overtime.
This one may have been the most difficult to fathom. Like Missouri, the Bulldogs entered the game on a two-game skid. But they hadn’t been on the NCAA Tournament projection radar.
Still, Georgia outscored Missouri by 23 points over the game’s final 15 minutes, and as the final seconds ticked away, the few fans in Stegeman Coliseum could be heard chanting “overratted” at the No. 20 Tigers, much to the chagrin of Bulldogs coach Tom Crean.
“They’re not overrated, and we might have to play them again,” Crean said.
That would be in the SEC Tournament in three weeks. Before then, Missouri has issues to resolve. After jumping to a 48-35 lead, the Tigers lost their composure. The fouls came first. Mizzou was whistled for seven before seven minutes in the second half had elapsed. Then turnovers. They committed nine in the final 15 minutes.
“When you put yourself in a position to win on the road you have find a way to win it,” Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said.
The Tigers gave themselves a chance primarily with the strong play of Kobe Brown. The 6-7 sophomore bulled his way to a career-best 21 points. With big man Jeremiah Tilmon out for a second straight game because of a death in the family, Brown stepped up and provided offense.
“My teammates kept talking to me, they saw I had mismatches all over the floor,” Brown said. “They wanted me to take advantage of those.”
Mark Smith’s three-pointer gave the Tigers their first 13-point lead at 46-33 and Dru Smith’s drive made it 48-35 with 16:27 remaining. Mizzou even had a couple of possessions to try to stretch the margin, but in less than a minute Mark Smith collected his third and fourth fouls.
He had been playing well, regaining his shooting touch and causing a matchup problem. But Smith went to the bench for the next few minutes as Georgia quickly found itself in the bonus. The game’s tone had changed and the Bulldogs took advantage.
The last good spurt for Mizzou came when they fell behind 60-55. The Tigers scored five straight on Parker Braun’s three pointer and Javon Pickett’s inside bucket.
Did Missouri take Georgia’s best shot and would now draw a line? No. Georgia went on an 8-2 run and the margin grew wider from there.
The next opportunity to break the streak comes Saturday at South Carolina, a team the Tigers defeated in January. Martin is confident Mizzou has what it takes to snap out of this gloom and believed this game was different than previous losses.
“I thought we had a great game plan, great energy,” Martin said. “A quick shot here and there, a couple of easy misses around the rim....I thought what we had what we needed to win the game.”
Instead, the Tigers have to dig their way out of another defeat and find a way to reverse course with the regular season winding down.