Game at a Glance
After each Tiger game, we take a look at the highs and lows. Here's the report from Tuesday's 72-62 loss to Kentucky.
TURNING POINT: After Missouri drew even at 52-52 with 7:45 to play, the Wildcats scored the next five points. Mizzou had a chance to make it a one-possession game again, but Kevin Puryear missed two free throws and Wenyen Gabriel extended the lead to 60-52 with a back-breaking three-pointer at the 5:50 mark. Missouri would not get it closer than six the rest of the way. On the night, Tigers not named Terrence Phillips and Jordan Geist were just 4-for-13 from the free throw line. Missouri lost by ten.
IT WAS OVER WHEN: Mizzou was still within six with 2:34 to play and a really good finish away from a potential upset. But the Tigers gave up a layup, forced a desperation three from Geist to try to beat the shot clock and then gave up a dunk to fall behind by ten for the first time all night with 1:43 left. There was no coming back from that final Kentucky flurry.
CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM: Tonight showed what good basketball can be like inside Mizzou Arena. Would it be nice if more people showed up more often? Sure. But as Kim Anderson said, they will if you win. Missouri hasn't won much. From the opening tip, it felt different inside Mizzou Arena. It was the most charged atmosphere this building has seen in five years. It offered--if nothing else--a glimpse of what things can be like in Columbia if the Tigers drag themselves off the mat and back to respectability.
CAUSE FOR CONCERN: Nothing specific tonight. But Missouri lost its 20th game of the season. That is three years in a row the Tigers have lost 20. The number of teams who have done that three years in a row in SEC history is now one.
STOCK UP: Terrence Phillips was the best he has ever been. He has always been the most confident Tiger. From the jump, he looked like he thought he--and his team--belonged in this game. Phillips ended with 22 points, three assists, four rebounds, two steals, a blocked shot and just two turnovers in 31 minutes. He was the only Tiger to make a three-pointer and the only Tiger to take more than two free throws and shoot better than 33% (he was 8-for-8).
STOCK DOWN: Kevin Puryear. Not for the season or for his career or anything, but the bad taste of this one won't be gone soon. Puryear was 1-for-11 from the floor, 0-for-3 from three-point range and a crippling 2-for-7 from the free throw line. With even a below average effort from Puryear, Missouri might walk away with a win. Instead, they got perhaps his toughest night of the season.
UP NEXT: Missouri (7-20, 2-13 SEC) faces Ole Miss (17-11, 8-7) at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in Oxford. The Rebels won 87-82 at Mississippi State on Tuesday.