Game at a Glance
After each Tiger game, we take a look at the highs and lows. Here's the report from Wednesday's 76-73 loss to Texas A&M.
TURNING POINT: It seemed it would be the start. The Tigers were down 10-0 before the first TV timeout and before the game was even on the SEC Network. But Mizzou clawed all the way back to tie the game at 65 on a Jordan Barnett three. Down 67-65, the Tigers threw away the inbounds pass, A&M turned it into a dunk and a four-point led. Missouri was never even again.
IT WAS OVER WHEN: Barnett missed the second of two free throws and with a six-point lead, Texas A&M got an offensive rebound and a basket to make it 76-68 with less than a minute to play. Missouri had no chance at that point. The rebound was the 16th for Robert Williams. He had 18 points and three blocked shots as well.
CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM: K.J. Walton and Jordan Barnett look to be legitimate pieces for next year. The duo combined for 35 points on 14-for-25 shooting (Barnett was 9-for-13) and have become Missouri's most consistent offensive players in the last few games. The cupboard may not be quite as bare as 6-17 would indicate.
CAUSE FOR CONCERN: Nothing new really. I mean, sure, they're 1-10, but at this point, they're playing out the string anyway, so it's not like new things are popping up that really scare you.
STOCK UP: Offense. The Tigers followed up a 53% shooting effort against Arkansas by shooting 47% in College Station. And they got out and ran a bit, turning 14 A&M turnovers into 24 points to keep them alive.
STOCK DOWN: Terrence Phillips. He does a lot of good things (9 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds). But he tends to balance them out with a lot of less good things. At least twice he went 1-on-3 and took out of control shots when the Tigers were very much in striking distance. Both times, the mistake became a three-pointer on the other end. He also continues to commit fouls at an alarming rate despite Kim Anderson saying frequently how many times they have talked about it.
UP NEXT: Missouri (6-17, 1-10 SEC) hosts Vanderbilt (12-12, 5-6) at 2:30 on Saturday at Mizzou Arena. The Commodores beat Arkansas 72-59 in Fayetteville on Tuesday night.