TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Despite a strong offensive effort by the University of Missouri men’s basketball team, the Tigers weren’t able to hold off Alabama (13-6, 4-3 SEC) late as the Crimson Tide came back for an 86-76 win in Coleman Coliseum. The result splits the meetings this season between the two teams as Mizzou won the first matchup back on Jan. 8.
“I’m happy with our guys’ effort, toughness and grit,” said Whitten Family Men’s Basketball head coach Cuonzo Martin. “We’ve improved offensively, but we got to find a way to buckel down defensively and get those stops.”
Jarron Coleman led Mizzou (8-10, 2-4 SEC) with a team-high 17 points, one off his season-best. Coleman shot 6-of-12 from the field, including a season-high five three-pointers. He also added four rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Mizzou had a total of four players in double-digits, as Javon Pickett, DaJuan Gordon and Amari Davis all contributed 12.
TURNING POINT
With Mizzou up ten with under nine minutes left, Alabama slowly began chipping away at the Tigers’ lead cutting it to six with back-to-back baskets. The Crimson Tide put together a 13-2 run to take the 79-73 lead over the next four minutes as the game entered the under three-minute mark. Trevon Brazile notched a three-point jumper to keep the game at three, 76-79, but Alabama continued to find answers and draw contact making four free throws down the stretch to end the game.
GAME NOTES
- Missouri made a season-high 11 three-pointers as Coleman, Gordon and Ronnie DeGray III all registered at least two.
- Coleman’s five three-pointers tie for the second-most ever by a Missouri Tiger in an SEC game.
- Coleman is shooting 40.3 percent in SEC games, including 39.5 percent from behind the arc.
- Mizzou moves to 7-12 all-time against Alabama and 1-7 in Tuscaloosa. The Tigers lone win in Coleman Coliseum came in 2018 under Martin.
- Brazile recorded his ninth-consecutive game with multiple blocks and tenth-straight with at least one.
- Brazile moved into sole possession of sixth all-time in blocks by Mizzou freshman, as he now has 26 blocks on the season.
- Kobe Brown had a game-high 10 rebounds, marking his ninth career-game with 10 or more.
- Pickett has recorded double-digits in five consecutive games, the longest stretch of his career. He has eight double-digit games this season and 33 in his career.
- Saturday was Missouri’s first loss of the season when scoring 70 or more points. The Tigers remain 6-1 when scoring over 70.
- Missouri shot above 40 percent from three for the second-straight game, ending with a team effort of 11-of-24. The Tigers were 7-of-13 in the second half.
- The team’s five free throw attempts were a season low, and the fewest attempted by Mizzou since Feb. 9, 2019 against Texas A&M.
UP NEXT
The Tigers return home to take on #2 Auburn Tuesday, Jan. 25 in Mizzou Arena. The game is slated for a 7:30 p.m. tip on SEC Network. Tickets are available at MUTigers.com/MBBTickets.
