Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin has spoken of games this season in which his team “played a boxing match that turned into a basketball game.”
The Tigers' Tuesday matchup against Ole Miss was a heavyweight classic. The Rebels delivered blow after blow, and just as the Tigers hit the ropes, they delivered an uppercut.
But by the final buzzer, the Rebels got the last swing. With Missouri’s guards worn down, Ole Miss ran away with a 60-53 win at Mizzou Arena to sweep the season series.
The first half was a dogfight. It was an unruly display of grit and hustle that saw Ole Miss shoot 41.2% and Missouri 33%. Despite their shooting troubles, it was the Rebels' game to lose. Ole Miss distanced itself from Missouri by the end of the half on hustle alone.
The Rebels corralled nine offensive rebounds through the first 20 minutes and had nine more shots than the Tigers to show for it. Ole Miss forward Romello White gave MU fits when he caught the ball at the elbow. His 4-for-4 shooting led to eight of his team’s 16 first-half points in the paint. Missouri lost the handle when defending inside.
Ole Miss enjoyed a nine-point lead at halftime, but Missouri refused to go away. An 11-0 run tied the game, and a short hook from senior Jeremiah Tilmon gave the Tigers their first lead with less than 10 minutes to play. But in familiar fashion, Missouri’s backcourt failed to deliver.
Junior guard Xavier Pinson had two points on 1-of-9 shooting. It was the fourth game this season in which he shot 20% or less from the field. Pinson never found a rhythm, disrupting Missouri’s offensive flow from the tip.
Senior guard Dru Smith had one of his poorer shooting performances of the season, hitting 3 of 12 shots, including 2 of 8 from 3.
MU’s frontcourt did what it could to keep the Tigers in the game down the stretch.
Tilmon ended with 10 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. Junior Kobe Brown had 12 points, including eight pivotal second-half points when Martin decided to play through him. MU found its way back after a 15-2 run, leading a promising charge late. But Ole Miss was never quite out of it.
The Tigers went more than two minutes without a point late in the game, and the Rebels took advantage to reclaim the lead and ice the win.
Ole Miss’ win marked a 2-0 series sweep versus the Tigers this season. Missouri’s struggles against Mississippi teams this season continued, and the Rebels now lead the all-time series 15-3.
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February 24, 2021 at 11:15AM
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Missouri drops season series versus Ole Miss in dogfight - Columbia Missourian
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