Mizzou Tigers basketball suffers another blowout, loses SEC opener at Kentucky, 83-56
The start of conference play is supposed to be an exciting time for college basketball teams, a point at which the season is still young and full of hope. But for the Missouri Tigers, their SEC opener dealt yet another blowout defeat.
First there was Florida State. Then an embarrassing showing at Liberty. Next a non-competitive rivalry game at Kansas, followed by another dismal defeat against Illinois in the annual Braggin’ Rights game.
Just a dozen games into 2021-22, these sorts of losses have become expected against any sort of formidable opponent. Another arrived Wednesday night, when Missouri suffered a 83-56 defeat against No. 18 Kentucky at Rupp Arena in the Tigers’ first SEC game of the year.
The Tigers played without head coach Cuonzo Martin, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week, adding another wrinkle for a team limping through the early part of the season. Assistant coach Cornell Mann filled in as acting head coach.
“I think we’re learning to fight,” Mann said. “If anybody’s had the toughest month of basketball, it’s probably Mizzou. I think our schedule is tough, and that’s the way we want it because that’ll build character with young guys, and I think it is building character on the floor for us.”
Mizzou (6-7) has now fallen in three of its last four contests, shooting under 44% from the floor in each one (including a 32.8% mark Wednesday). And for the fourth consecutive year, the Tigers opened the SEC portion of their schedule with a loss.
“Continue to scratch, claw and fight,” Mann said. “What we’re doing is gaining experience, and that experience will pay off.”
As has often been the case this year, the Tigers dug themselves into a sizable hole early.
After missing its first two attempts from the floor, Kentucky (10-2) made five consecutive shots to take an 11-2 lead with 17:35 left in the first half. By the first media timeout, the Tigers had already turned the ball over four times — twice on traveling violations by guard DaJuan Gordon — resulting in eight of the Wildcats’ first 14 points.
Mizzou trailed by double digits, but then found some life. The Tigers went on a 12-0 run in a little over two minutes to take a one-point lead and force a Kentucky timeout with 12:15 left in the half.
But, alas, any momentum the Tigers appeared to have gained vanished soon enough. They went on to miss seven consecutive shots and turn the ball over four more times — they had 14 turnovers in all — which led to 21 points for the Wildcats. Within seven minutes, the Kentucky lead was back to double digits.
“It was just a couple of mental lapses,” said Tigers guard Jarron “Boogie” Coleman, who had five turnovers. “It wasn’t really much them (applying) that much pressure. ... it was just me personally just got ... out of character.”
By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Missouri was down 44-27. Keion Brooks Jr. ended the first half with a dominant slam for UK — following yet another turnover — that brought the home crowd on its feet. Another punch in the gut for the Tigers.
“When they made the run, it startled us a little bit,” MU guard Amari Davis said. “We could’ve been more aware on defense and on the offensive end. And I think we just didn’t do that.”
Forward Kobe Brown, Mizzou’s leading scorer, rebounder and assist man, played less than six minutes in the opening frame. He was benched at the 14:26 mark after picking up his second foul and wasn’t subbed back in. Past games had repeatedly proven that benching Brown is a mistake against talented teams, but Mann did so the rest of the way.
“If you’re going to win the game, you gotta save him for the second half in hopes that he’ll come back out, play well, play without fouling and finish the game,” Mann said.
Brown finished with six points on 2 of 9 shooting, his second-lowest output all season.
Guard Amari Davis was one of the only Tigers with a positive plus/minus in the first half, but like Brown he sat for nearly the last seven minutes after picking up his second foul. Mizzou was outscored 20-7 to end the half without them both on the court.
“We just could not have a couple of the main guys in,” Mann said. “So it goes right back to the fact that Kobe and Amari were in foul trouble ... to me, that’s what happened — not necessarily anything they did, in terms of an adjustment, but more we had to make the adjustment because we had guys in foul trouble.”
The Tigers strung together a 7-0 run in the opening minutes of the second half, but once guard Kellan Grady hit a three-pointer the Wildcats were back in control.
Missouri was more competitive in the second half, but it wouldn’t matter. The Tigers had already dug their grave and there was no crawling out, especially once the Wildcats went on a late 14-0 run.
Four Kentucky players scored in double figures, led by 17 points from Brooks, who also had nine rebounds. Big man Oscar Tshiebwe had a 13-point, 20-rebound double-double, sinking nine of 10 shots from the field.
“I mean, it’s frustrating,” Coleman said. “You always want to win. I mean, I feel the ‘L,’ but I try to look at the positives, as well, because we are a young team and I feel every game we are growing. ...
“Everybody’s just trying to get used to playing with each other. I feel like it’ll all turn around once it clicks. But we’ve just got to stay the course and stay focused.”
The Tigers face Mississippi State next Wednesday at Mizzou Arena. The game airs on SEC Network at 8 p.m. Central Time.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 8:20 PM.
