Post-Game Report: Mizzou blitzed by Arkansas again
It took longer than the matchup in Fayetteville, when Missouri fell behind 24-3 before the second media timeout. But the Tigers' second meeting with Arkansas this season unfolded similarly to the first: The Razorbacks went up big early and Missouri never really threatened to close the deficit.
Arkansas broke the game open with an early 15-0 run. Missouri briefly cut the deficit to single digits in the first half, but the Tigers simply couldn't string together stops. Arkansas got an open look seemingly every trip during the first half. The Razorbacks cooled off a bit in the second half, but they shot 50 percent both from the field and from three-point range during the opening 20 minutes. They led by 19 at the break and ultimately won by the same margin, 76-57.
"They played physical, they got what they wanted offensively," Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said after the game. "We weren’t as aggressive as I thought we would be and should be. We allowed the ball to flow through the air, and they made plays, made shots."
Arkansas' offensive struggles in the second half gave Missouri a brief window of opportunity. The Razorbacks went nearly six minutes without a bucket, during which time the Tigers closed their deficit from 20 points to 11. But consecutive threes from JD Notae and Stanley Umude effectively sealed the game. The Umude triple, his sixth of the game, represented the back-breaker.
"Javon (Pickett) ran at the ball, he was wide open, made a three," Martin said of the play.
Here are five things we learned from the loss.
1. Martin had been adamant lately that his team was improving on the defensive end of the floor. The Tigers regressed in that area Tuesday.
For the game, Arkansas shot 49.1 percent from the field and 52.4 percent from three-point range. That's the second-best clip Missouri has allowed from behind the arc this season. Both Martin and Pickett chalked the defensive struggles up to a lack of edge on that side of the ball.
"We let them make easy passes, direct passes," Pickett said. "We didn’t put any pressure. They were able to flow into their offense. And that’s really it. We didn’t pressure them at all.”
Arkansas did its offensive damage without Notae having to carry the load. Notae, who entered the game averaging 18.8 points, scored 17, but on just 6-16 from the field. But four other Arkansas players scored in double figures, led by Umude's 23 points.
"You have to give credit because they made the shots," Martin said. "But I was certainly unhappy with the defense.”
2. Missouri's backcourt once again struggled against Arkansas' pressure.
The turnover total wasn't as egregious as in Fayetteville, when the Tigers gave the ball away 23 times. They turned it over 13 this time around. But one reason for Missouri's early deficit was giveaways. Trevon Brazile scored on the Tigers' first possession of the game, but then the team turned the ball over on three straight trips.
“Certainly frustrating, especially the first two," Martin said of the early turnovers. "I think DaJuan (Gordon) had one and then Boogie (Coleman) came down with the next one. That can’t happen. Not at the start of the game, that can’t happen. "
Even when Missouri wasn't giving the ball away, Martin said, the pressure from Arkansas' guards made it difficult for the Tigers to initiate their offense. Several times, Coleman picked up his dribble just past half court, allowing Arkansas an easy trap opportunity. Coleman said he needs to do a better job of knowing when not to stop dribbling.
“I think just timing the play," he said. "Like one time I picked the ball up too early thinking Kobe (Brown) is going to pop out to get the ball. I feel like we’ve been better with pressure, it’s just me having better timing and knowing when to pick the ball up to pass it. Because if I pick it up and they’re not ready to get open, that’s when we get into a jam.”
The point guard position has been an issue for Missouri all season, and Tuesday was no exception. Coleman, Kaleb Brown and Amari Davis combined to make just two of 15 field goals and score 11 points.
3. Arkansas gave Missouri an opening to come back, but the Tigers couldn't get over the hump. The Razorbacks, perhaps relaxing a bit, went 5:39 without a point in the second half. The problem for Missouri was that the Tigers had a nearly four-minute scoring drought of their own that overlapped with Arkansas' lapse.
Still, a five-point possession gave Missouri a sliver of hope. Ronnie DeGray scored and drew a foul. He missed the free throw, but Kaleb Brown tracked the ball down and hit Gordon for a three-pointer from the corner. On the next possession, Davis drew a foul and made both free throws, cutting Arkansas' lead to 11.
The life from the home crowd seemed to wake the Razorbacks up. Notae drilled a nasty step-back three over DeGray's outstretched arm, then Umude drained his sixth and final three-pointer 26 seconds later. Meanwhile, Missouri couldn't get its two top offensive options going. After scoring 13 points in the first half, Pickett didn't score in the second. Leading scorer Kobe Brown mustered just six points all game. Missouri is now 0-11 on the season when he fails to reach double figures.
4. Missouri can't seem to maintain momentum after a win.
The Tigers beat Ole Miss on Saturday, then promptly put together their worst start to a game since the last loss to Arkansas. That's not a new phenomenon. Missouri has followed up each of its last eight wins with a loss. On the year, the Tigers are 1-9 following a win, with the team's lone pair of consecutive victories coming in November. Eight of those nine losses have come by double digits.
Martin downplayed the idea that there's been one consistent reason for his team's struggles following wins, although he did acknowledge the Tigers didn't display enough intensity Tuesday night.
“It’s different things different games," Martin said. "We didn’t come out with an edge tonight, and I think that was the cause of this one."
5. The Tigers will be glad to have no more games against Arkansas this season. Clearly, it's not a favorable matchup.
Missouri has lost its two games against Arkansas by a combined 63 points. The Tigers have only lost one other SEC game by more than 10 points, that being the league-opener against Kentucky.
"We just lost the game, didn’t play well," Martin said. "I don’t think it’s anything magical. We didn’t play well at all.”
That said, it's not as if getting blown out has been a rare occurrence for this Missouri team. The Tigers have now lost eight games this season by 17 points or more. Not surprisingly, the results indicate that Missouri has simply been out-classed by premium competition. In seven games against teams ranked in the top 25 nationally by KenPom, Missouri is now 1-6 with four losses by at least 19 points.
Star of the Game: Umude was the best player on the floor. He made six of nine three-point attempts but showed an ability to score in the mid-range, as well. His 23 points marked the third time this season he's topped 20 in a game.
Room for Improvement: Three-point shooting has been an issue all season, and that remained the case Tuesday. Arkansas seemed content to give Missouri some open looks from behind the arc, and the Tigers couldn't capitalize. Missouri made five of 17 three-point attempts. That's actually better than the season average of 28.5 percent, but it's not good enough to compete with a top-25 team.
What it means: Missouri is now in sole possession of 12th place in the SEC and looking increasingly likely to play on the first night of the league tournament.
Next up: Missouri will travel to Mississippi State on Friday for the first leg of a home-and-home series between the two teams this weekend. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
Quotable: “You gotta get off to a better start. That’s the easy answer. You can’t have your first two possessions turnover. And then you have to play with an edge on the defensive side of the ball.” -- Cuonzo Martin
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