Missouri's Dajuan Gordon stretches to make the basket on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
The Alabama Crimson Tide visited Mizzou Arena on Saturday afternoon, where Missouri defeated them last year. Missouri men’s basketball began the game with a below .500 record for the first time this year, while Alabama entered with an 11-3 record and as the No. 15-ranked team in the country.
The Tigers won their first SEC game of the year, defeating the Crimson Tide 92-86, behind a career performance from junior forward Kobe Brown, who finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds.
Other big contributors include junior guard Jarron Coleman, who finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Senior guard Javon Pickett and junior guard DaJuan Gordon both finished with 15 points as well.
A big part of the Tigers’ success was their strength on the boards. Missouri out-rebounded Alabama 43-31 for the game, including a 16-11 margin on the offensive glass.
The Tigers opened their home SEC play with arguably their best three minutes of basketball this season. As Alabama missed layups on back-to-back possessions to start the game, Missouri answered with a couple of patient baskets against the Crimson Tide’s 2-3 defense.
Alabama’s defense tried to force the Tigers into taking 3-pointers, which Missouri struggles to shoot effectively. But instead of taking 3-pointers, the Tigers worked the ball around early and found success attacking the high post where Brown went to work early.
The Tigers began the game knocking down four of their first five shots to gain a quick 9-0 lead. Alabama quickly responded with its own 9-0 run, tying the game up at 9 points apiece.
Pickett impressed early, getting downhill and attacking the basket. Pickett opened up the game hitting his first three shots, all at the rim.
Coming into the game, Alabama shot the 13th-most field goals per game and the seventh-most 3-pointers attempted per game. The Crimson Tide finished 6-12 from deep and 17-32 from the field in the first half.
With two fouls, Brown was forced to sit at the 2:50 mark in the first half, with Missouri down 35-31. Alabama pushed the lead to 41-33 before a crucial stretch from the Tigers to close out the half.
Gordon drove to the basket for a layup, followed by a tough jumper by Coleman on the following Missouri possession. On the other end of the floor, freshman forward Trevon Brazile leapt from the free throw line to block Alabama junior guard Jaden Shackelford. Coleman then led the fast break and found Gordon in the corner for a 3-pointer to bring Missouri to a 43-40 deficit at the half.
On top of the great shooting, Alabama’s star junior guard, Jahvon Quinerly, drove into the lane any time he wanted, allowing him to finish at the rim and pass out to open shooters. Quinerly ended the first half with 10 points and 3 assists.
Missouri freshman guard Anton Brookshire and junior guard Amari Davis were both out under COVID-19 protocols on Saturday. This meant Coleman took over most point guard duties Saturday.
The entire year Brown has been the Tigers’ engine, and this game would prove no different as he finished the first half with 17 points and 7 rebounds.
Brazile continued to impress Missouri fans as the Tigers opened up the second half with a dunk as Gordon threw a perfect lob to Brazile for the alley-oop.
Then, with 15:07 to play and the shot clock winding down, Pickett attacked the paint. Fading away off one foot, he got a foul called and drained the shot for a possible and-one. The home crowd erupted as the lone senior showed some emotion, pointing his fingers down at the ground signaling his and-one play. Pickett converted the and-one to give the Tigers a 57-49 lead.
Missouri’s defense continued to get stops and protected the 3-point line as Alabama didn’t make its first three of the second half until 8:43.
Missouri led 72-56 with 10:04 remaining in the second half, when Brown picked up his fourth foul. This forced Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin to sit Brown and play without his star player for the next three minutes.
Without Brown, Alabama went on an 8-2 run to bring itself to 10 points at 74-64. Then, as Missouri had done all night, they continued to make shots. Gordon hit a 3-pointer and then a few possessions later, Coleman cashed in a three to give the Tigers a 82-68 lead.
Alabama would get the lead down to single digits with 3:47 remaining in the game, but after Martin called a timeout, Missouri settled down and closed out the game with a score of 92-86.
Missouri improved to 7-7 overall and 1-1 in SEC play with the victory on Jan. 8.
Edited by Brandon Haynes | bhaynes@themaneater.com