The Tigers simply couldn’t create enough offense in Saturday’s nine-point loss to Texas A&M
Missouri men’s basketball fell to Texas A&M 69-60 on Saturday night and, Missouri head coach Dennis Gates wasted no time hyping up the Aggies.
“I have no idea how they’re not ranked in the Top 25,” Gates said. “I truly believe they are a top 15 team in the country.”
Texas A&M sure played like a top-25 team in their nine-point victory over Missouri, as it controlled the game nearly wire-to-wire, leading for all but 92 seconds of the game.
Despite its eventual loss, the Tiger defense got off to a hot start. Missouri’s defense created a bevy of extra opportunities for its offense, as the Tigers forced 12 Aggie turnovers in the first 12 minutes of action. However, Missouri struggled converting those turnovers into baskets, missing 15 of its first 18 shots from the field.
MU Point Guard Nick Honor makes his way downcourt against a block from Texas A&M Shooting Guard Dexter Dennis during a game at the Mizzou Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. (Photo/Erica Little)
“I think it’s a statistical anomaly,” Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams said.
Gates shared a similar sentiment, more so relating to the entire game.
“How can you have 14 steals and only 15 points off of turnovers?” Gates said. “We forced enough to win the game, but we didn’t execute once we got the ball in those situations.”
After a three-pointer by graduate guard D’Moi Hodge cut the Texas A&M lead to one, the Aggies finished the half on a 19-6 run.
Missouri also struggled converting inside the three-point line. The Tigers shot 5/16 on two-point attempts; its 31.3% clip was over eight percentage points lower than the worst two-point shooting team in the nation (Alabama State).
MU players huddle-up with team captain Kobe Brown during a pause in the basketball game between the Missouri Tigers and Texas A&M at the Mizzou Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. Despite forcing 21 turnovers, the Missouri Tigers lost 69-60. (Photo/Erica Little)
The second half started out positively for the Tigers, as they were able to cut the Aggie lead to 10 and had a chance to gain even more ground after senior forward Kobe Brown took a charge with 15:50 to go. Nonetheless, Texas A&M then scored eight points in 70 seconds to balloon their lead back 18.
Missouri found a new groove halfway through the final 20 minutes, sort of like that one Disney emperor. After an Aggie free throw upped their lead to 16, Missouri went on an 8-0 run to cut Texas A&M’s lead to single digits for the first time since there were over three minutes left in the first half.
Despite the encouraging scoring outburst, the Tigers never got the Aggie lead below eight, and the Aggies rolled to a 69-60 victory for their 12th conference win of the season and 20th overall. This marks just the second time since the 2015-16 season that the Aggies have won 20 games before the month of March. The loss drops Missouri to 7-7 in SEC play and 19-8 overall.
Shouts erupt from the crowd after a timeout is called during a men’s basketball game between the Missouri Tigers and Texas A&M at the Mizzou Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. (Photo/Erica Little)
Brown led the Tigers in scoring one again with 24 points, including five made three-pointers. Hodge tied a career-high in steals with six, four of which came in the first half alone. He was also the only other Missouri player to register double-digit points.
Rebounding was once again an issue for Missouri, as Texas A&M won the battle on the glass 41-23.
“Our offensive rebound percentage before it went analytically final was 59%,” Williams said. “That’s a big part of what helped us overcome our turnover rate.”
Missouri’s next game is on Tuesday hosting Mississippi State at 6 p.m. Texas A&M will return home to host Tennessee at the same time.
Edited by Davis Wilson | dwilson@themaneater.com
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