Missouri men’s basketball remains winless in conference play after a back and forth battle with the Aggies
Heading into College Station to face the Texas A&M Aggies, Missouri men’s basketball sought to snap a five-game losing streak in conference play. The Aggies have not lived up to their preseason hype, but they were able to grit out a win at home against a struggling Tiger squad. Missouri would go on to lose 63-57.
Like most of the Tigers’ conference play, junior guard Tamar Bates carried the workload, scoring 16 points on 7-16 shooting along with five rebounds and two assists. Graduate guard Sean East II led the team in scoring, dropping 17 points to go along with five assists.
It was the Tigers who got out to a quick start, led by the tandem of Bates and East II. Bates had 9 of the first 13 points, getting to the rim and also hitting a shot from behind the arc. The Aggies followed with a 11-0 run, battling back to take the lead.
Texas A&M senior forward Henry Coleman III made seven free throws in the first half, with the Tigers fouling a total of 14 times. Free throws accounted for 8 of Coleman III’s 10 points for the night.
The hot streak for the Aggies continued on throughout the rest of the first half, going on another run to get their lead to 27-15. Graduate forward Noah Carter disrupted Texas A&M’s lead, scoring on Missouri’s next offensive possession.
The Tigers trailed 30-25 at halftime, coming off a run to end the half. Junior guard Curt Lewis jumped in and hit a 3-pointer, contributing to the Tigers attempt at a comeback.
Missouri struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 16.7% from the 3-point line. The Tigers also shot 38.5% from the field.
Texas A&M shot slightly worse than Missouri in the first half from the field, as well as barely being ahead in 3-point percentage. The difference maker when it came to the scoreboard was the fouls between the two teams.
In the first half, Texas A&M shot 20 free throws compared to the Tigers’ six. The Aggies made 15 free throws compared to the Tigers’ three. The 14 fouls that Missouri committed during the first half paid dividends on the scoreboard, boosting the Aggies’ lead.
The second half started off with a triple from freshman center Jordan Butler.
Missouri and Texas A&M went on to battle for the remaining 20 minutes of play, with the lead constantly bouncing back and forth. There was never a lead larger than seven points.
With 24 seconds remaining in the game, graduate guard Nick Honor fouled Texas A&M guard Tyrece Radford. Radford hit both free throws to extend the lead to 61-53. Bates and East II both scored once more, but it was not enough to fend off the Aggies.
With this defeat, the Tigers now fall to 8-11 and 0-6 in conference play. The loss also drops them into last place in the SEC, with the Vanderbilt Commodores standing slightly ahead with a 0-5 record in the conference.
While the SEC schedule is difficult, the stretch coming up for the Tigers is easier in comparison to others. Missouri will take on Arkansas on Jan. 31 and Vanderbilt on Feb. 3. On Jan. 27, the Tigers will face a challenge, finishing a two-game road stretch by taking on the South Carolina Gamecocks. South Carolina recently defeated the No. 5 ranked Kentucky Wildcats in a 79-62 victory.
Edited by Chase Gemes | cgemes@themaneater.com
Copy Edited by Briana Iordan