At halftime, the Missouri Tigers looked like they had the game out of reach.

The bench production was clicking on all levels, the Tigers were forcing turnovers out of its zone defense and were running in transition, seemingly developing the start of an identity for this newly molded-together team. That quickly fell apart in the second half as Memphis did the same thing to them, with Missouri not having any answers on either side of the floor.

When you lead by 10 points at halftime, it’s a reasonable claim to expect to win. It’s not as if Missouri walked out in the second half relaxed because they had a lead, but everything in the first half pointed to them running away with it. Memphis matched their intensity on defense and began to force turnovers and bad shot attempts while getting star guard PJ Haggerty into transition. The flipping of the game plan on Missouri eventually resulted in the loss.

That being said, here are three takeaways from Missouri’s game-one defeat.

The Tigers brought out a fascinating starting lineup, one that did not feature transfer guards Tony Perkins and Marques Warrick. The first player off the bench was Perkins, who did not necessarily give the Tigers the production head coach Dennis Gates would have liked.

In the first half, sophomore forward Trent Pierce looked amazing, seemingly out of nowhere. He hit two threes in his first-half showing and finished with ten points in the half and 13 overall as the team’s second-leading scorer. Forward Aidan Shaw also made his presence felt, finishing with nine first-half points, all of which were momentum-building scores. Pierce and Shaw were the two biggest surprises off the bench, giving the Tigers much-needed scoring.

Though Perkins did not start, he gave Missouri a quality 21 minutes, a number that could likely ramp up and turn into a starting role. His four assists were the most helpful, primarily playing the point guard role when he was on the floor. He grabbed one steal and a block as well on the defensive end of the court.

The Tigers’ two-three zone defense clearly gave the Tigers the most effective results on the defensive side of the ball. Even when Memphis was hitting threes in the second half, many came in scramble situations.

Starting the half, forcing Memphis to score from the perimeter wasn’t a bad idea. They shot only 4-for-14 in that period and could not manage to put points on the board to close the gap with Missouri. The attempts Memphis was getting at that time were not comfortable ones either, many of which were contested or coming from a bad pass.

For some odd reason, the Tigers backed out of its zone when Memphis went on its run midway through the second half. They were getting to the free-throw line easily and had Missouri in foul trouble within five minutes of the start of the second period.

One thing was made evident in the solid first half from Missouri: the zone defense worked. Everyone was flying around and forcing steals and deflections and it allowed the Tigers to get out and run in transition. Zone defenses aren’t always sustainable for a whole game and can slow down the pace, but if it works, it works.

It looked like Gates and the Tigers had its rotation figured out in the first half. They were getting out in transition with Pierce and Anthony Robinson II, a surprising but effective decision. Pierce scored 10 points in the first half, knocking down two triples, a take at the rim and a massive fast break dunk. Nobody expected Robinson to play the minutes he did and the explosiveness from Pierce, as well as the lack of production from transfer forward Mark Mitchell, but what the Tigers put on the floor in the first half clearly worked.

That will be the over-arching theme the Tigers take away from the loss, being the first-half success. Gates saw firsthand five-man units that worked well together on both sides of the ball, even if that meant people were not getting in the game at all.

Gates sacrificed the playing time of star guard Tamar Bates in the first half because Robinson and company were clicking in multiple ways. Pierce and Shaw, who excelled in the first half, saw the floor in the following period for only five minutes each. Gates attributed that to the need for ball-handlers on the floor, but the length, defense and surprising offensive production both provided would have also been of assistance.

It is still very early in the season, and Gates and the staff are trying to find what works the best. Last season, Gates was not afraid to completely empty his bench for answers. Some consistency in that department might aid in team success, but for right now, it’s evident he is still searching.

Everything Dennis Gates Said Following Missouri’s Loss to Memphis
Dennis Gates Explains Quiet Second Halves for Shaw, Pierce in Mizzou’s Debut
Familiar Struggles Creep Up in Mizzou’s Season-Opening Loss to Memphis