Missouri made 16 of its first 19 shots in the second half, and that was all they needed to secure their second straight victory
The No. 21 Missouri Tigers (18-6, 8-4 SEC) found themselves looking for their first road win over an unranked team against the Georgia Bulldogs (16-10, 4-9 SEC). Thanks to a second half offensive explosion, the Tigers were able to break through the Bulldog defense and cruise to an 87-74 victory.
The saying, “You never start off a game with a deficit” had a rare blip, as the Tigers were given an administrative technical foul before the tip-off due to a starting lineup gaffe— Peyton Marshall was inadvertently listed as a starter over Mark Mitchell. As such, Georgia helped themselves to a 1-0 lead before a second ticked off the clock. Luckily for the Tigers, this mistake did not end up meaning anything in the game.
The first half was highlighted by back-and-forth basketball with both teams trading buckets possession after possession, and trading run for run. Georgia’s aggressive help defense prompted interesting possessions for the Tigers, as they initially struggled to garner open looks.
With their reputation as a second-chance point dominator, Georgia had a variety of possessions where future pro Asa Newell picked up rebounds and kicked it out for a shot. Defensively, Mizzou did what they do best and switched up looks to try and discombobulate the Bulldog offense.
This strategy was torn apart by Georgia’s inside game, as Newell made quick work of whatever look the Tigers threw at him, making all five of his shots in the first half for 11 points. As a team, Georgia shot 60% in the first half which is one of the highest percentages Mizzou has allowed all season to open a game. Newell finished the game with 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting, splits fit for a player projected to be selected in the top half of the NBA Draft this offseason.
On the other hand, Missouri shot 35% from the field in the first frame, but thanks to quick turnovers the Tigers had nine more shots than the Bulldogs to even out the efficiency disparity. The lack of shooting from beyond the arc was uncharacteristic, as Mizzou shot 5-of-19, but despite their troubles, found themselves down three at halftime.
Tamar Bates led the way offensively for the Tigers in the first frame, as he was 3-4 from three-point land. Missouri’s other shooter, Caleb Grill, had more of an impact on the inside early on as his three-point stroke was not in its usual rhythm. The two finished with a combined 28 points, continuing to show their value as some of the best guards in the conference.
The second half began with fireworks as both teams made their first seven shots combined, a refreshing burst of offense in a conference that is built on its defensive foundation.
Missouri is not known as a potent rebounding team, but they were dominant on the glass in this game. The aforementioned second-chance prowess made it paramount for the Tigers’ bigger players like Josh Gray, Mark Mitchell, and Trent Pierce to go up strong on the glass. Pierce, in particular, has been challenged by Gates regarding his rebounding in recent days, resulting in a smaller share of minutes after early game struggles. Pierce responded to the challenge and picked up three offensive rebounds in just the first half, his best split of the season.
Despite Newell carving up on the offensive side of the ball, Georgia was unable to provide an answer to Mizzou’s rotational offense. Mizzou has one of the top-scoring benches in the country, and their scoring waves tired out a Georgia squad that was missing a key starter in Tyrin Lawrence.
Mizzou usually picks up turnovers in an abundance but has some issues with converting them at an efficient rate. That script was flipped in this tilt as the Tigers generated nine turnovers and picked up a staggering 18 points off of them. Praised by many other coaches in the SEC for their active hands in passing lanes and their positional size, players such as Pierce and Mitchell who can defend just about any position on the court.
Anthony Robinson II established himself in Mizzou’s offense early in SEC play, but hit a little bit of a slump averaging 4.6 points-per-game in a six-game stretch after the Florida game. However, the tide for his offensive output started turning after a positive showing against Oklahoma. Towards the midway point of the second half, Robinson seized the moment and took over picking up numerous steals for quick points as the Tigers had a game-defining 13-0 run in less than 2:30. The run put the Tigers from tied to up 19, taking the lively Athens crowd out of the game. Robinson’s run was curtailed by his foul troubles, though, as he picked up his fourth foul before the clock dropped under eight minutes. He would finish the game with 15 points on 7-11 shooting.
The speed displayed by Missouri was a factor all night, as they dominated the fast break, outscoring the Bulldogs 19-0 in transition. Statistically, Missouri shot 47% from the field and were 12-14 from the free throw line. On the other side, Georgia shot 53% from the field and were 7-10 from the line. Rebounding wise the Tigers dominated picking up 36 to Georgia’s 27.
The Tigers will now take this result and go right back to work, with the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide set to visit CoMo on Wednesday, February 19 at 7 PM CST.