Game at a Glance
After each Tiger game, we take a look at the highs and lows. Here's the report from Tuesday's 60-43 loss to Texas A&M.
TURNING POINT: There really wasn't one. It was one long, slow, painful march to a 17-point loss. Missouri did lead early, 5-4, after a Frankie Hughes three-pointer. But it was one of just two shots the Tigers made in the first 13 minutes. By the time Hughes made basket No. 3 at the 6:30 mark, Mizzou was down 15-11. It never got closer.
IT WAS OVER WHEN: The Tigers failed to do anything out of the locker room in the second half. Miraculously, despite an historically bad shooting half, Missouri trailed by only 10 at the break because A&M didn't make much of anything either. But the Aggies scored five of the first six points in the second half to extend the lead to 14 and Missouri never made anything resembling a run.
CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM: The season's almost over. Yes, we've used this before. But at this point, what else is there? The next time Mizzou takes its home court, there is likely to be a new direction and perhaps a feeling of optimism around the program.
CAUSE FOR CONCERN: In the worst three-year run of Missouri basketball in half a century, this team has a chance to be the worst. If Missouri loses at Auburn on Saturday, the Tigers will lose 24 games, re-setting the program record that was set just two years ago. Most figured coming into the year that at least it couldn't get worse. It has.
STOCK UP: Trevor Glassman. Nice move by Kim Anderson to give the walk-on transfer from Manhattan the first start of his career on senior night. And, honestly, he was the best player the Tigers had. In an opening three-minute salvo, Glassman got a steal, a rebound and took a charge. It was downhill after that.
STOCK DOWN: Shooting. Missouri has been a poor shooting team all year. But the Tigers set new marks on Tuesday. The 24.6% was the lowest in Mizzou Arena history. The 43 points was the fewest the Tigers have scored at home in the shot clock era. Even Kim Anderson said after the game, "I'd be remiss if I didn't say that probably set basketball back 20 years."
UP NEXT: Missouri (7-22, 2-12 SEC) faces Auburn (17-12, 6-10) at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in Auburn. The Tigers face Georgia tomorrow at 5:30.