Missouri Tigers stay winless in SEC play after loss to Florida. Here are 3 takeaways
Missouri basketball led for most of the first half against Florida, but like Tuesday’s game at Alabama, the Tigers saw momentum slip away leading to a 79-66 loss Saturday at Mizzou Arena.
The Tigers’ fifth straight loss drops them to 8-10 and 0-5 in SEC play.
Missouri held Florida (12-6, 2-3) to its second-lowest scoring total in its last seven games, but the Tigers just couldn’t keep up with the second-best offense in the SEC in the second half.
The Tigers were outscored 42-33 in the game’s final period.
Up next: Missouri heads on the road to face Texas A&M on Tuesday. That game will tip at 8 p.m. on SEC Network.
Until then, here are three takeaways from the Mizzou loss...
Missouri’s 3-point shooting was an issue
Missouri and Florida are near equal when it comes to converting from behind the arc on the season. But the Gators were the far superior team in that department Saturday night.
Florida, led by Walter Clayton Jr., shot 41% from behind the arc on 9-of-22 shooting. Clayton knocked down a trio of 3-pointers as part of his 15-point performance, while Alex Condon, Riley Kugel, Will Richard and Zyon Pullin all contributed in that department.
Meanwhile, the Tigers struggled from behind the arc.
The Tigers finished with three 3-pointers, which came from Nick Honor and Tamar Bates, on 16 attempts.
In terms of made shots from behind the arc, it was the Tigers’ worst performance of the 2023-24 season. The next-closest game was last weekend against South Carolina, where the team only knocked down five 3-pointers.
Tamar Bates continues to trend up
Tamar Bates is ascending into SEC stardom.
Missouri led for most of the first half, but Florida regained the lead at 25-22 midway through the period. Bates made sure the Tigers kept pace with the Gators, scoring six consecutive points in three different ways — at the free-throw line, in transition and by burying a shot from behind the arc.
The sequence highlighted a dominant first half, and shortly before the break he added another jumper to record his 17th point in nearly 18 minutes.
Bates, who tallied his seventh straight double-digit scoring performance, has built his confidence through conference play to become the Tigers’ main scoring option. He finished with 36 points, making him the first Tiger to record a 30-point game this season. This came on 13-of-21 shooting and a perfect 9-of-9 at the foul line.
Missouri competed on the glass
Let’s look at another silver lining.
Florida came into Mizzou Arena as the nation’s top rebounding team, averaging 44.94 per game. Where Todd Golden’s team excels is on the offensive glass, which ultimately leads to more second-chance opportunities.
Instead, Missouri controlled the defensive glass against the Gators. The Tigers hauled in 23 defensive rebounds compared to Florida’s 13 offensive boards. Aidan Shaw led the way with four rebounds on the defensive end, while Connor Vanover and Sean East II added three each.
Missouri was outrebounded, however, 40-27.
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