Torrence Watson re-entered the game for Missouri at the 6:41 mark of the first half, and hit a deep 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds later.
The freshman has hit at least one triple in the last nine games, and tied his season-high point total against Mississippi State on Tuesday evening.
While Watson may have had one of his best showings of the year, Missouri (12-15, 3-12) did not. The Tigers fell to the Mississippi St. Bulldogs (21-7, 9-6) 68-49, extending their losing streak to four games. It was Missouri’s lowest scoring performance since its 60-49 loss against Texas A&M in January 2018.
Watson finished the evening with 12 points in 26 minutes, shooting 42.8 percent from behind the arc. He also made a season-high three free throws on four attempts.
Missouri struggled offensively at the beginning of game, going without a field goal for the first four minutes of the game until freshman Javon Pickett stole the ball from Bulldog senior Quinndary Weatherspoon and tacked on the layup. The Tigers went even longer without a 3-pointer; redshirt junior Ronnie Suggs hit the first triple of the night at the 12:52 mark of the first frame.
However, Missouri picked up its pace in the final seven minutes of the half, going on a 14-6 run to cut MSU’s lead from 15 points to just 7 going into the half. The Bulldogs were without a basket for the final 5:50 of the first frame, their only 4 points coming off four made free throws by junior Tyson Carter.
While Missouri stayed within two or three possessions for much of the second half, MSU began pulling ahead with a Weatherspoon 3-pointer with 7:25 to go. The Bulldogs went on a 15-5 run, with the Tigers’ only points coming off of two free throws and a Javon Pickett triple.
Missouri finished the game having made only 17 of its 52 field goal attempts, and allowed MSU to score 13 points off of 15 turnovers. Weatherspoon and Carter both had 20-point performances for the Bulldogs.
Sophomore forward Jeremiah Tilmon did not check into the game for the Tigers until six minutes into the game, making it his first game this season where he did not appear in the starting lineup. He fouled out for the ninth time this season in Saturday’s loss to Florida. Freshman Xavier Pinson took his spot on the court to start the game.
Tilmon’s fourth foul of Tuesday’s game was called midway through the second half when he dealt a forearm to Reggie Perry’s neck. He eventually fouled out with just under two minutes left to play. In 22 minutes on the court, Tilmon scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds, one block and one steal.
The Tigers were also without sophomore guard Mark Smith, who was officially ruled out for the season on Tuesday, per a team spokesman. He will undergo surgery on his right ankle.
Missouri returns to Mizzou Arena on Saturday to play the South Carolina Gamecocks. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CST.
_Edited by Adam Cole | acole@themaneater.com_
