What went wrong for Mizzou basketball in seventh straight SEC loss to South Carolina
Missouri basketball once again showed signs of promise but ended its two-game road trip winless, as it fell at South Carolina 72-64.
The Tigers possessed an early lead and overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half but couldn’t close the deal, falling to 8-12 and 0-7 in the Southeastern Conference.
MU’s continued offensive struggles arose against the SEC’s No. 1 defense, as the Tigers made a season low two 3-pointers while the Gamecocks (17-3, 5-2) knocked down 10 of their own.
Missouri will return home on Wednesday to face Arkansas. The game will be shown on the SEC Network at 7:30 p.m.
Until then, here are three takeaways from the Tigers’ loss on Saturday...
Mizzou showed promise in the second half
Starting with a positive, this game could have been long over at halftime.
South Carolina’s Ta’lon Cooper knocked down a jumper with three seconds to go in the first half, which electrified the crowd and put the Gamecocks up 10 going into the break.
But Missouri came out with fire and poise to open up the second stanza. A dunk by Jordan Butler started a run that gave the Tigers momentum. After four straight points from Sean East, Nick Honor splashed a 3-pointer to pull the Tigers within a point.
Following a missed jumper by Collin Murray-Boyles, an East rebound led to a transition score by Tamar Bates. In three minutes, the Tigers’ 11-0 run gave them their first lead since the 16:37 mark in the first half.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, there were still 16-and-a-half minutes to play. That stretch was filled with inconsistencies on the offensive end.
The start of the second half, though, showed what this team is like when it is all put together.
Tamar Bates and Sean East shine
Only two players tallied double-figures for the Tigers: East and Bates.
East with his noted soft touch and specialty floaters led the way for Missouri. He finished with a team high 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 7-of-7 from the free throw line. He added a team-high seven assists.
Bates was electric with his ability to drive and finish at the rim. He tallied 16 points, making it 10 straight games where he’s reached double-figures. Coming into the contest, Bates was the only player in Division I shooting 50% from the field, 40% from behind the arc and 90% from the free-throw line.
But the problem was that no one else stepped up to contribute on the offensive end, which has been a consistent issue all season.
Noah Carter and Nick Honor combined for just 15 points. Outside of Connor Vanover (five points) and the aforementioned foursome, no other Tiger had more than three points.
Missouri had no answer for B.J Mack
B.J Mack once again took it to the Tigers.
The 6-foot-8, 260-pound forward exhibited his versatility on the offensive end for the Gamecocks. He went 2-of-5 from behind the arc but did most of his damage inside the paint, drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line.
When both teams went into the locker room after the first half, Mack had 15 points.
Mack finished with 21 points on the afternoon and knocked down seven of the Gamecocks’ free throws.
Mack was key in the Gamecocks’ victory at Mizzou Arena on Jan. 13. The transfer from Wofford scored 21 points against the Tigers in a 71-69 overtime victory.
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