3 Takeaways From Mizzou's Road Loss to Arkansas

The No. 15-ranked Missouri Tigers dropped an upsetting and unfortunate road loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks, ending a winning streak that featured victories over Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma.

The way the Tigers lost this one was uncharacteristically bad compared to their recent level of play. They shot poorly from the perimeter, turned the ball over more than they normally do and allowed open shots that would normally be contested. There were multiple instances where unforced errors by Missouri changed the momentum of the game.

Discrediting how Arkansas played would be a huge mistake, however. The defensive intensity the Razorbacks played with throughout the whole game and the shot-making late from D.J. Wagner and Zvonimir Ivisic helped them seal the deal and earn arguably their biggest win of the season. Wagner finished the game with 17 points and Ivisic with 20, posting two impressive performances that led to a win.

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

Unusually Slow Start

For the most part, the Tigers have done a good job getting off to quick starts in conference play. That wasn't the case against Arkansas, and head coach John Calipari took everything Missouri usually does well and did it better in the first five minutes of the game. The Razorbacks forced seven early turnovers and attacked the rim at will.

"We didn't give ourselves an opportunity to get out to a good start," Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said after the game.

Feb 22, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari reacts to a call during the game against the Missouri Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Turning the ball over hasn't been an issue at all this season for the Tigers, so seven turnovers in the first 10 minutes of play was surprising. Calipari made a clear statement with his game plan, with active hands and good instincts, the Razorbacks were elite defensively to start this game.

Missouri responded perfectly after trailing for most of the first half, going on a 10-0 run around the seven-minute mark to take back the lead and stop Arkansas' momentum. Thanks to triples from Tamar Bates and Marques Warrick, the Tigers jumped in front of the Razorbacks the scoreboard and reset the momentum of the game.

Bench Scoring

At the game's end, the Tigers scored 41 points off the bench. 33 of those came in the first half thanks to Caleb Grill, Marques Warrick and Jacob Crews. Grill finished the first half with 13, with Warrick and Crews following right behind with 10 each. Their first-half performances were so good that head coach Dennis Gates decided to start them in the second.

"They carried us in the first half," Gates said of Crews and Warrick. "They did a great job, being able to get that depth, meaning points off the bench, that's something that's a staple for us."

Feb 22, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Marques Warrick (1) drives against Arkansas Razorbacks forward guard D.J. Wagner (21) during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The offense didn't come as easy in the second half and Crews, Grill and Warrick cooled down a little. In fact, the production of the standout bench trio completely fell off in the second half. A unit that was vital to Missouri's success in the first 20 minutes completely disappeared in the last 20, forcing the Tigers to look elsewhere for their scoring.

Warrick came alive late in the game, hitting two triples and extending his final scoring total to 16 points. Grill and Crews did not score in the second half and Grill ended up going 4-for-14 from the field and 2-for-12 from outside. His inability to score from the perimeter hurt the Tigers on offense and made getting stops on the other end more challenging.

Three-Point Shooting

Missouri normally shoots 37.1% from the three-point line. Against Arkansas, they shot 33.3%, with 12 makes on 36 attempts. Outside of Warrick, Crews and Bates, the 3-point shooting was not efficient. Because it's such a crucial part of the Tigers' offense, the lack of outside production was a clear detriment to the team.

Feb 22, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Tamar Bates (2) sets to shoot a three-point shot in the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The most alarming of the three-point shooting numbers was from Grill, who shot 16.7% from outside. He made two in the first half and seemed destined for another show-stopping performance, which evidently was not the case. He went 0-for-7 in the second half, making his shot selection a little less ideal than normal.

"I thought he did a good job taking the ones that was open and for him to be able to knock that down," Gates said of Grill's preimeter shooting performance. "But in that second half, I thought the ball just didn't fall for him, and they [the looks] were open."

Grill wasn't the only one to struggle. Trent Pierce went 1-for-3, Tony Perkins 0-for-3 and Mark Mitchell 0-for-2. Those are players that are normally reliable from the perimeter and for them not to show up, especially all at the same time, makes a difference in a game. If one of those three gets going, maybe the final result is different.

In games where Missouri has struggled from the perimeter in the past, they normally have managed to find other ways to score. That wasn't the case against Arkansas, struggling to find efficient looks inside the arc or get to the free throw line at their usual frequency. Nothing truly clicked on offense despite scoring 85 points, especially after a 110-point outing in the game prior.

Unusually Slow Start

Bench Scoring

Three-Point Shooting

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