The road has not been friendly to the Missouri men’s basketball team this season.
The Tigers (10-17, 3-11 SEC) fell to 0-9 on their travels on Saturday night when they were defeated by the Arkansas Razorbacks (12-15, 6-8 SEC) 84-72.
Missouri was unable to get anything going on the offensive side of the ball. Without senior forward Ryan Rosburg, who only played four minutes in the first half before sitting due to foul trouble, the Tigers looked lost. They turned the ball over six times in the first half and were stagnant in their half court offense.
The Razorbacks were quick to take advantage of the inept Missouri offense, as they implemented a press for the majority of the first half. The Tigers were forced to play faster than they are accustomed to or turn the ball over when they slowed down.
Arkansas was able to turn its defense into offense, scoring seven fastbreak points and shooting 45.5 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Missouri was only able to convert 37.5 percent of its chances, which lead to a 43-30 Arkansas lead at halftime.
Mizzou came out of the locker room reinvigorated to start the second half, cutting the Razorback lead to six just three minutes into the second half.
However, Arkansas would soon regain its first half form. Behind junior forward Moses Kingsley and redshirt junior guard Dusty Hannahs, the Razorbacks slowly distanced themselves from Missouri. Kingsley scored 11 points in the second half while also grabbing eight rebounds as he pulverized Missouri beneath the basket.
In the end, Missouri fell short, snapping its two-game win streak with an 84-72 loss. Rosburg finished with 11 points despite fouling out with two minutes left in the game. Freshman forward Kevin Puryear led the Tigers with 23 points while sophomore guard Namon Wright recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Missouri will travel to Oxford, Mississippi, on Tuesday for a rematch against Ole Miss (17-10, 7-7 SEC) on Tuesday. The Rebels barely escaped Columbia with a 76-73 earlier in the season. The game can be viewed on the SEC Network and will tip off at 8 p.m.