3 Takeaways From Mizzou's Loss to Tennessee

Quick thoughts from the Tigers loss to the top-ranked Volunteers on the road.

Feb 5, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Tamar Bates (2) moves the ball against Tennessee Volunteers guard Chaz Lanier (2) during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

The Missouri Tigers dropped its fifth game of the season on the road to the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers, losing 85-81. A back-and-forth battle in the latter part of the second half ended with the Volunteers on top.

Despite the loss, Missouri played well. They held a 34-28 lead at the end of the first half. They opened up the second half by scoring five straight to take an 11-point lead. Unsurprisingly, the Volunteers responded and took control of the game after that point.

Expectations for a Missouri win in Knoxville were low so, in some cases, the final result against the Volunteers may be seen as a success. A loss is still a loss and that's reflected in the record but the Tigers showed signs of growth and also proved their record and ranking to be valid, despite the loss.

Here are three takeaways from the Missouri loss against No. 4 Tennessee:

Mizzou Doesn't Falter

During the middle stretch of the second half, it looked as if the Volunteers were going to pull away. One could even say they did at one point, finding themselves ahead 75-61 with 4:17 to play. A series of offensive rebounds and defensive stops would turn around the Tigers' fortune.

A little more of that same exact sequence eventually brought the Tigers to within four points. Even if it was too far gone, Missouri showed some true fight against one of the best teams in the country on their home court. Even if a loss was the final result, that's impressive.

A loss is a loss and it still will go against the Tigers. There are certainly worse losses an SEC team can earn on the road, but it is still a loss. A singular defeat to a top-10 team on the road isn't the end of the world. However, more losses compounded on top of this one could cause a downward spiral. Not stacking losses will be important for Missouri moving forward.

Turnovers

Despite being one of the best defensive teams in the country, Missouri only committed three turnovers against the Volunteers. That's impressive for a variety of reasons, especially because of its top-ranked defensive efficiency rating in KenPom and the 13.4 turnovers they force on average.

Missouri themselves commit 11 turnovers a game. They've had far worse numbers against worse defensive teams, a sign of how well the Tigers handled the ball. Considering other factors, such as the hostile road environment the Tigers were a part of and the magnitude of the game and the three turnovers Missouri committed is quite impressive.

Though turning the ball over isn't a signature of the Missouri offense, it should be a broad expectation to commit more against the Volunteers. Simply put, not doing that against Tennessee is impressive and not many teams in the country were able to replicate that statistic. That's something for Missouri to hang its hat on, despite a loss.

Tennessee's Shooting

On some nights, sometimes there's nothing a defender can do to stop the ball from going in the hoop. Against the Volunteers, that's probably how Missouri felt. Tennessee shot 66.7% from the perimeter on 10 makes.

For a team that normally shoots 33.2% from the three-point line on average, that's a great night. They doubled an average shooting night for their team, a feat that's rarely accomplished for them. Missouri played good defense too. Tennessee just made its shots, plain and simple.

Zakai Zeigler, who'd been on a frustrating dry streak from outside, scored 21 points on 4-for-4 outside shooting. Big man Igor Milicic Jr. also joined in on the fun, going 2-for-3 from the three-point line. These are players who are capable of knocking down outside shots but did it at the highest level possible against Missouri.

Most good teams see good and bad shooting nights. It's unfortunate for the Tigers that Tennessee got one when they had the opportunity to capture a big win but a team of the same caliber as the Volunteers are bound to have an above-average shooting game on occassion.

Read More Missouri Tigers News:

Dennis Gates Dissects Rare Shooting that Put No. 4 Tennessee Past No. 15 Mizzou
Late Comeback Not Enough for No. 15 Mizzou at No. 4 Tennessee
Dennis Gates' Case for National Coach of the Year - The Extra Point