Mizzou Hoops drops dogfight to Mississippi State

Opposite to well-liked perception, opposites could not truly entice.

Saturday night time’s assembly between the high-potent Missouri Tigers offense and the defensive-minded Mississippi State Bulldogs sparked physicality and emotion as tempers flared all through the competition.

Mizzou, who entered searching for its first victory in Starkville since Feb. 13, 2013, couldn’t overcome its season-long SEC highway woes, falling in a 63-52 dogfight to the Bulldogs.

“We simply didn’t play nicely sufficient and play a whole 40 minutes, so now we have to get to the drafting board to execute,” Missouri males’s basketball head coach Dennis Gates mentioned.

Mississippi State by no means trailed, using the efficiency of redshirt senior ahead Tolu Smith, who made his presence felt all through the sport with 25 factors and 12 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season.

“I believed (Smith) completed by contact nicely,” Gates mentioned. “I believe he’s one of many prime submit gamers within the nation.”

Senior ahead D.J. Jeffries added 10 factors and 9 rebounds.

Mizzou’s usually dominant forces —Kobe Brown, Isiaih Mosley and D’Moi Hodge— remained stagnant all through the competition, discovering little success wherever on the courtroom.

DeAndre Gholston, who tallied 9 first half factors, completed with 12 factors off the bench, including onto a 10-point and 8-point efficiency for Hodge and Brown, respectively.

Gates featured a brand new rotation all through this highway contest, changing Mosley with Sean East II within the beginning lineup and that includes Mabor Majak and Kaleb Brown in extra distinguished roles.

“I knew what kind of recreation it might be, so in preparation, I believed these guys could be ready to do sure issues,” Gates mentioned. “Clearly, the end result didn’t give us that, however I did see some positives inside the sport.”

Even with the adjustments, the Tigers struggled to match up in opposition to Mississippi State’s sheer energy.

Physicality and whistles dominated the feud between a pair of the SEC’s most will-imposing groups.

The groups mixed for 46 complete free throws, making for fairly the wrestling match within the paint. Mizzou completed with an uncharacteristic 14-for-21 tally from the charity stripe, whereas the Bulldogs countered with its personal 18-for-25 mark.

“It ought to have been 30 free throws plus for each groups tonight for sure,” Gates mentioned. “Bodily, our recreation was decrease. Our free throw depend was decrease.”

Mississippi State additionally capitalized in a territory the place the Tigers have struggled all through their losses—the final 4 minutes of the primary half and first 4 of the second half.

In that middle-eight body, the Bulldogs outscored Mizzou 15-6, capturing the momentum to develop their lead from two to 10 factors.

The run featured Mississippi State’s capacity to restrict runs and power misses, because the Tigers made solely one among their 9 pictures makes an attempt in these eight minutes. Mizzou went by 4 subject objective droughts totaling no less than 4 minutes all through the sport.

Their contrasting kinds have been evidenced early as Mississippi State’s protection stepped up in an emphatic method.

The Bulldogs held Mizzou into an 0-for-7 begin from behind the arc, eliminating an asset of the Tigers’ video games that has been formidable of their final three video games, all victories.

Mizzou entered the sport on its hottest stretch in program historical past, having made 43 triples in its final three video games, however Mississippi State quieted that development with its signature half courtroom protection.

The Tigers completed with a 16-for-50 mark from the sector, together with a 6-for-23 tally from 3-point vary, dedicated 15 turnovers and solely recorded 10 assists.

“Finally, our assist-to-turnover ratio was in (the) unfavorable,” Gates mentioned. “All of our major ball handlers had turnovers (aside from Brown). We are able to’t play video games like that.”

Regardless of its lack of offensive success, Mizzou did make its affect felt on the defensive finish as nicely, forcing 12 Mississippi State turnovers to stay inside hanging distance for many of the night.

After falling behind 8-1, the Tigers fought again to inside two factors, capitalizing by way of the free throw line and paint. Brown and Mo Diarra, who mixed for 17 rebounds and 16 factors, every notched their first factors within the stretch.

Smith and the Bulldogs responded proper again, nevertheless, because the ahead scored 11 of Mississippi State’s subsequent 16 factors, extending the benefit to seven factors.

Amidst the early drama, tensions started to boil, after Hodge was pushed following a foul. That turmoil returned within the second half, when Mississippi State’s Dashawn Davis was administered a technical foul amidst one other after-whistle confrontation.

These feelings had little affect on the end result, nevertheless. The Bulldogs dominated the defensive finish and managed the paint, doubling up Mizzou in that class.

Mississippi State appeared to lose its middle-eight momentum halfway by the second half, because the Tigers went on a signature 10-0 run, which included a pair of Nick Honor 3-pointers.

“I believe we pushed the ball much more within the second half,” Honor mentioned. “I simply don’t suppose that this recreation was an actual illustration of us.”

The comeback effort stopped there for Mizzou, who allowed a 13-2 run and didn’t make a single subject objective throughout that almost seven minute stretch, which was harking back to the offensive outputs in the course of the Texas A&M and Florida losses.

Whereas the Tigers had an unsuccessful capturing efficiency, they did compete on the boards, grabbing just one fewer rebound than the Bulldogs. Not a lot else went proper for Mizzou, although, who fell proper into line with Mississippi State’s tempo and execution.

Tonight’s loss marked the Tigers’ fourth highway defeat in SEC play, a mark that Gates mentioned is an attribute to who the group has performed—Arkansas, Texas A&M, Florida and Mississippi State.

“These are large time groups,” Gates mentioned. “These are NCAA Event groups in my eyes, and I believe our guys performed nicely, however not nicely sufficient.”

Trying to rediscover its capturing contact and profitable methods, the Tigers will subsequent host South Carolina at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Columbia earlier than happening a grueling highway journey to Knoxville and Auburn.