The Missouri men’s basketball team appeared on its way to its first Southeastern Conference winning streak this season Wednesday night.
Then, Alabama guard Dazon Ingram hit two 3-point shots on consecutive possessions to give Alabama a 53-47 lead with 3:40 left in the game.
The Tigers failed to come back, and the Crimson Tide snuck out of Mizzou Arena with a 57-54 victory.
Ingram led all scorers with 18 points. He also added nine rebounds.
“I thought he was the difference in the game,” Missouri coach Kim Anderson said. “When they needed a bucket, he got the bucket.”
Missouri (7-18, 2-11) had held the lead since the seven-minute mark in the first half. But an out-of-bounds call that infuriated every Tigers coach, player and fan in Mizzou Arena, combined with Ingram’s late game heroics, changed the trajectory of the game.
“The ball was pretty much in their court at that point,” Missouri forward Kevin Puryear said. “It definitely changed the momentum of the game, and gave them all the momentum.”
Here are other things you need to know from Missouri’s loss:
**Alabama struggles to score early**
The Alabama offense appeared as if it did not make the trip from Tuscaloosa to Columbia in the first half.
The Crimson Tide failed to score for just over 10 consecutive minutes in the first half, allowing the Tigers to jump out to a 10-point lead twice. Alabama shot 21 percent from the floor in the first half, converting on five of 24 attempts.
The Tigers were not stellar on offense either, though. Missouri converted just 30 percent of its field goals in the first half. But the Tigers held a 23-18 lead at halftime.
“We went into a serious tailspin there in the first half,” Alabama coach Avery Johnson said.
**Crimson Tide limit Barnett**
The recent scoring threat of forward Jordan Barnett played a small role in Wednesday’s outcome.
After two straight 23-point games, Barnett finished with five points against Alabama.
“He was a major focus,” Johnson said. “Huge focus. We had probably five different stars by his name in the locker room.”
Anderson said he did not think Barnett ever got started similar to the past two games.
“I don’t think he ever got comfortable,” Anderson said.
Although he did not contribute much on the scoreboard, his rebounding played a key role in the Tigers’ success. Barnett grabbed 12 rebounds, eight of which came in the first half.
**Up next**
The Tigers head to Knoxville, Tennessee, to face the Volunteers on Saturday. SEC Network will broadcast the game, which starts at noon.
_Edited by Eli Lederman | elederman@themaneater.com_
