Mizzou puts up lackluster performance at Oklahoma
After a couple of high-energy and emotional wins and multiple weeks of impressive play, Mizzou dropped a stinker on Tiger fans Tuesday at Oklahoma.
The Sooners beat the Tigers 80-64, but that 16-point margin doesn’t quite show just how poorly the Tigers performed for most of the 40 minutes.
“Credit Oklahoma,” Mizzou coach Dennis Gates said. “Obviously shot a blistering percentage.”
From the start, the Tigers lacked the energy they showed in a win against Mississippi State just three days ago.
Oklahoma hit three of the game’s first four shots to pull ahead as Mizzou got only a hook shot from Shawn Phillips before the first media stoppage.
After the initial break, it looked like the Tigers might have figured out the energy piece. Mizzou stormed back with a 7-0 run to take a 9-8 lead, but Oklahoma answered with an 8-0 run and the Tigers would never tie or take the lead again.
The teams traded shots, but Oklahoma went on another 8-0 run near the end of the first half to build to a 30-18 advantage. It was the biggest lead of the opening 20 minutes, but the Sooners took a 35-26 lead into halftime.
“I wish we would have fouled more to put them on the free-throw line,” Gates said. “That seemed to be the misses that they had.”
The second half looked no better for Mizzou as Oklahoma built to a 55-36 advantage with 11:39 left thanks to another 8-0 run, then the Sooners grew the advantage to 20 for the first time at 58-38.
Oklahoma would get as far as a 22-point lead at 71-49 with 5:45 left to play.
Mizzou started showing some signs of life down the stretch as 3-pointers started to fall. Ant Robinson, Trent Pierce, Mark Mitchell and Jacob Crews each hit a 3 to bring Mizzou back within 75-63, but the Tigers wouldn’t complete the comeback as Oklahoma made its free throws down the stretch.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got to regroup, go back to the drawing board,” Gates said. “Tough one on Saturday.”
Stats
Oklahoma was lights out from the field, shooting 28-of-45 (62.2 percent) overall and 12-of-22 (54.5 percent) from 3.
Mizzou was able to claw its percentages up at the end, ending at 24-of-51 (47.1 percent) from the field and 8-of-24 (33.3 percent) from deep. But the Tigers started 4-of-17 from 3 before going 4-of-7 in the comeback attempt.
Neither team shot well from the free-throw line. Oklahoma was 12-of-20 (with a 3-of-4 mark in the final 1:12 saving the Sooners from a slightly above 50 percent day), while the Tigers were 8-of-16 to end at 50 percent.
Mizzou committed 16 turnovers, a high in conference play this season, and Oklahoma scored 25 points off those opportunities.
“Our guys will regroup,” Gates said. “… Ultimately, that was a game that we shot ourselves in the foot.”
Oklahoma committed 15 turnovers. But Mizzou was able to garner just 13 points on those chances.
Oklahoma won the rebounding battle 28-26, but Mizzou had an 8-0 lead in second-chance points. Mizzou won points in the paint 28-26.
Mitchell led Mizzou with 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting overall. But he had four turnovers to go with three assists and two rebounds.
Robinson had 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including two 3-pointers. It was his best scoring performance since putting up 19 against Florida in the SEC opener as he continues to work his way back into form at the end of the season. But he fouled out with 5 minutes left to play.
Pierce added 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting overall and a 3-of-7 showing from 3. T.O. Barrett ended with five points, five rebounds and five assists before fouling out with 4:16 left.
Up next
Mizzou (20-10, 10-7 SEC) will conclude the regular season against Arkansas at Mizzou Arena at 11 a.m. Saturday.