Don't Panic Over Mizzou's Loss to Tennessee

Don't Panic Over Mizzou's Loss to Tennessee - The Extra Point

A loss is a loss but the Tigers still showed signs of being a solid SEC team in its recent defeat to Tennessee.

Feb 5, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Tony Perkins (12) shoots a three pointer against the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Watch the video below as Mizzou basketball reporter Michael Stamps break down Missouri's road loss against the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers and why the defeat doesn't mean the world is ending.

Welcome to Missouri Tigers On SI's "Extra Point," a video series featuring the site's Missouri beat writers. Multiple times a week, the writers provide analysis on a topic concerning the Tigers or the landscape of college sports.

The Missouri Tigers dropped its fifth game of the season to the Tennessee Volunteers on the road. That's not a bad loss for any team in the country, especially a Tiger squad that had minimal expectation heading into the season.

The loss still sucks. Missouri had a chance to hold onto a lead early in the second half, going up by as much as 11 points. In typical Volunteer fashion for this season, they locked down on defense and made everything hard for the Tigers. Tennessee controlled the middle portion of the second half, the main reason that led to a Volunteer victory.

Even though Missouri's record is now worse and there really isn't such thing as a "good" loss, there are a lot of positives to draw from that game. For starters, the Tigers hung around with and came back against the fourth-best team in the nation with arguably the best defensive unit in the country. They put together an impressive first half and never backed off.

It's not the same as a win but being neck and neck with Tennessee on its home turf is an impressive stand for Missouri. That was its only shot at the Volunteers in the regular season, an opportunity they may hope for in the SEC Tournament or even March Madness.

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