And One: Mizzou can't marry offense, defense in loss at Ole Miss

Following each Mizzou basketball game this season, we will highlight a few notable takeaways from the performance in the ‘And-One.’

GET THE INSIDE SCOOP EVERY DAY WITH YOUR PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION!

Missouri trailed by double-digits for much of the first half of Wednesday’s matchup at Ole Miss, but Torrence Watson came off the bench and put together a solo 5-0 run in the final minutes before the break to cut the Rebel lead to nine points. The Tigers carried that momentum into the second half, and after the two teams traded scores, Missouri went on a 9-0 run to tie the game at 51-51 with 14:04 remaining.

Then, the shots simply stopped falling. Missouri went 6:07 without a field goal, and during that span, Ole Miss took an eight-point lead. The Tigers clawed back to get the score within one possession, but a series of turnovers doomed them. Ole Miss avenged a loss at Mizzou Arena earlier this season with a 75-67 final.

Missouri shot 14 of 32 from the field during the first half but mustered only eight field goals in the second, including just four in the final 14 minutes. The Tigers kept the game close by making 10 of 14 free throws but couldn’t get over the hump. The most costly missed opportunity came when Ole Miss guard Devontae Shuler stripped Xavier Pinson and made a layup while being fouled by Pinson. Two possessions later, Pinson turned the ball over again, and Ole Miss scored eight of the game’s final 10 points.

Pinson, who torched Ole Miss for 32 points 15 days ago, got off to a hot start again Wednesday, scoring 11 points in the first half. But he scored just five points and committed four turnovers in the second.

In a familiar storyline, Missouri struggled from three-point range. The Tigers shot four of 17 from deep, including one of six in the second half. That marks the fourth game in a row — and the seventh time in the past eight road games — that Missouri has shot worse than 30 percent from deep.

Missouri’s defense was the inverse of its offense. The Tigers couldn’t find a way to stop Ole Miss during the first 20 minutes but defended better in the second half. The early deficit proved too much to overcome, however.

Ole Miss scored 49 points in the first half, their most in a half all season, even with leading scorer Breein Tyree scoring just six. Former Missouri recruit Blake Hinson made four of seven three-pointers and put up 19 points. As a team, Ole Miss shot better than 50 percent from the field and from behind the arc. Plus, 10 Missouri team fouls resulted in 16 free throws, and the Rebels made them all.

After what had to be a stern halftime message from Cuonzo Martin, Missouri tightened up in the second half. Ole Miss didn’t make a field goal until nearly eight minutes in, and the Rebels shot just eight of 23 from the floor and one of seven from deep. But Missouri couldn’t keep Tyree quiet forever. Playing in his final game in The Pavilion at Ole Miss, Tyree scored 11 of the Rebels’ first 14 points after halftime and 13 of the team’s 26 in the second half.

Sophomore Javon Pickett has served as an X-factor for Missouri all season. The past two games, he has struggled mightily, and the Tigers have lost. Pickett played 20 minutes Wednesday without scoring, though he did contribute four rebounds. The performance came on the heels of a zero-point, two-rebound game in 26 minutes against Mississippi State on Saturday.

On the season, Missouri is 7-1 when Pickett scores in double-figures, but he hasn’t reached that benchmark since Feb. 11 at LSU. Pickett is averaging just 2.3 points across Missouri’s past six games.

CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM: Missouri could have mailed it in when Ole Miss got hot and built a big lead in the first half, but the Tigers battled back, tying the game twice in the second half. That said, it feels like we’ve typed a similar sentiment in this space too often this season. At some point, Missouri needs to stop digging itself in early holes and forcing itself to claw back.

CAUSE FOR CONCERN: Missouri entered this week in decent standing to finish 10th or higher in the SEC standings and thus earn a first-round bye for the conference tournament. But after Wednesday’s results, both in Oxford and elsewhere around the league, the Tigers are tied for 12th in the league standings and need a lot to go right to avoid playing on Wednesday. Ultimately, it probably doesn’t matter when Missouri starts its postseason, as the chances of winning enough games in Nashville to qualify for the NIT or NCAA Tournament currently appear slim, but as long as there’s an automatic bid handed out to league champions, it’s always best to give yourself as few conference tournament games as possible.

STOCK UP: Jeremiah Tilmon. The junior big man has played better in each of his three games since returning to the lineup from a stress fracture in his foot. With 12 points Wednesday, he scored in double-figures for the first time since Dec. 3. He also added seven rebounds and a block.

STOCK DOWN: Reed Nikko. Pickett is probably most deserving of this spot, but we already highlighted his struggles above. Nikko got into foul trouble early and never found a rhythm. He finished with just four points and three rebounds. Missouri managed to get outscored by 16 points during the 13 minutes he was on the floor.

UP NEXT: Missouri (14-16) will return home to host Alabama (16-14) for its regular season finale on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

Ever go home after a long day and want to mix yourself a fancy cocktail, but don’t have the time or ingredients? Let Boulevard Beverage Company be your bartender! Introducing ready to drink Fling Craft Cocktails in a can. These flavorful spirit-based drinks are made with all natural ingredients and offer low calories and carbs. Try our blood orange vodka soda, cucumber lime gin and tonic, mai-tai and margarita. Click on the logo above for more information.

Fling Cocktails, the official game day sponsor of PowerMizzou.com Go Tigers!