Mitchell led the Tigers in scoring for the second straight game
No. 15 Missouri took to the road after upsetting No. 4 Alabama at home to play Arkansas on Feb. 22. Defending their home court, the Razorbacks snapped a two game losing streak, winning 92-85.
For the first 13 minutes of the game, each team traded scores, being tied four different times. This changed for the Tigers when Marques Warrick hit a step-back three to make the score 28-25.
Then, up by two, Mark Mitchell took a lob from Tony Perkins and got an alley-oop dunk to extend the lead. Mitchell led the Tigers offensively in the game, scoring 17 points.
The Tigers kept scoring from there, adding 14 more points before the first half buzzer. Warrick scored five of those 14, hitting a buzzer-beater three to give Missouri a 48-41 lead at halftime.
Looking for Missouri’s first field goal of the half, Mark Mitchell went over Zvonimir Ivišić for the dunk. Mitchell dunked frequently in the game, getting three jams and contributing to the Tigers’ 6-for-6 dunk record.
In search of the lead, Ivišić threw down a slam of his own, giving Arkansas the 62-61 lead. The Razorbacks went on a 14-4 run, including threes from Ivišić and Johnell Davis. Missouri ended the run with a pair of free throws from Mitchell and a second-chance three from Tamar Bates, bringing the deficit within six.
Arkansas spent the rest of the game drawing fouls and finding weaknesses in the Tigers’ defense. The Razorbacks didn’t hit a single three after the 14-4 run, relying on points in the paint.
However, Missouri knocked down a trio of three-pointers in that time. Warrick provided two of those, shooting 4-for-6 from three in the game. He led the Tigers in three-point makes.
This is the first time that Missouri has lost to an unranked opponent since their 61-53 loss against Texas. The Tigers return home as they play South Carolina on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. at Mizzou Arena.
Edited by Colin Simmons l csimmons@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com