Offensive struggles doom Missouri men’s basketball in 80-61 loss to Tennessee

Missouri men’s basketball welcomed the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers into Mizzou Arena Tuesday night in hopes of getting back in the win column. The Tigers kept up with Tennessee for a majority of the first half, but were unable to overcome their offensive struggles, resulting in an 80-61 loss.

The Tigers started out strong, knocking down two 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the game from junior guard DaJuan Gordon and redshirt junior guard Jarron Coleman. However, Missouri could not keep things rolling, as it finished shooting 5-20 (25%) from the perimeter and 19-52 (36.5%) from the field.

“Shots weren’t falling for us tonight,” Coleman said. “Every time we got the ball, [The Volunteers] seemed to take away the shots we were trying to take. They had a really good rotation.”

Turnovers have been one of Missouri’s biggest downfalls of the season, and this held true on Tuesday’s game. The Tigers committed 13 total turnovers, including four by junior forward Kobe Brown and three from senior guard Javon Pickett.

The Volunteers’ half-court defense caused a lot of problems for the Tigers, as they were not able to get the shots they wanted and had trouble taking care of the ball. 

Out of the 13 Tiger turnovers, eight were steals, including one from Tennessee freshman guard Kennedy Chandler on Missouri junior guard Amari Davis to earn a trip to the free-throw line. 

Missouri also struggled to earn second-chance points, recording just 8 offensive rebounds while losing the battle on the glass 40-34.

“We have to be better at grabbing offensive rebounds,” Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin said. “We need to be more aggressive and more physical when attacking the boards to create more opportunities.”

The Tigers will look to bounce back as they head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to take on the Louisiana State Tigers Saturday., Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Edited by Riley Gearhart | rgearhart@themaneater.com