Mizzou Struggles Offensively, Earns Second SEC Defeat Against Texas

The Missouri Tigers hit the road looking for a fifth straight win in Austin, Texas against the Texas Longhorns. In an ugly affair, Missouri lost 61-53.

Both squads got off to sluggish starts, scoring a combined 13 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. It was a combination of shots simply not falling and intense and physical defense from the Longhorns. This would be the story of the whole game.

Missouri started the game 3-for-14 from the field and 0-for-7 from the perimeter. This was an ideal situation for the Longhorns given the Tigers' explosive offense but, on the other hand, Texas only led by one.

Scoring continued to be an issue for just about everyone on the court when it wasn't at the free-throw line. The Tigers went 10-for-13 at the line in the first half and the Longhorns 10-for-12. It was truly the only way either team could score in the first half and the game's physicality had a lot to do with it.

Free throws were the most consistent form of offense all game for both teams. The Tigers went 19-for-27 from the charity stripe, good for 70.4% and the Longhorns slightly bested that number, going 23-for-30. The two squads nearly accounted for 60 attempted free throws, a testament to the physicality of the game.

The Longhorns finally found some life on offense from the perimeter. Two straight positions with threes from Arthur Kaluma and Tre Johnson increased Texas's lead to 30-20, the largest of the game up to that point. Missouri responded with its first triple of the game, courtesy of Caleb Grill and two more free throws from Grill the following possession. Missouri entered the half-time break trailing 32-25.

Missouri's inability to clean up on the defensive glass hurt them down the stretch of the game. Texas grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and scored 20 second-chance points, a stat that was glaring in favor of the Longhorns as the clock hit zero.

Missouri did start the half on a 13-4 run to start on the half thanks to a bunch of made free throws and two triples from Trent Pierce. He wouldn't score again after his last made three.

The ugliness ensued after Missouri's quick run and both teams reverted to their original method of scoring at the free throw line, as both teams quickly entered the bonus. It's clear that the Tigers were going to face a massive test to finish the second half while not being able to score.

Gates threw out some unique rotations in the second half, with a lineup that featured Ant Robinson, Marques Warrick, T.O. Barrett, Aidan Shaw and Grill. Shaw had seen a decline in minutes recently and was in the game for a short stint.

Momentum was far and few between at all in this game. Neither team could make a shot or create a substantial lead. The Tigers got a slight boost after an emphatic Tamar Bates dunk that gave the Tigers a three-point lead. It didn't last long after a wide-open layup from Jayson Kent and an eventual 50% trip to the free throw line from Kadin Shedrick.

The number of free throws and fouls against Missouri continued to hurt them down the stretch of the game. Each foul resulted in a trip to the line for both teams but the Longhorns did a better job of capitalizing on the attempts. Missouri also kept fouling, which didn't help.

The stars on either team didn't shine in this battle. Johnson scored 12 points on 3-for-15 shooting and Kaluma with 14 points on 4-for-10 shooting. Three players split the scoring for Missouri, with Pierce, Grill and Robinson all scoring eight points.

In need of a score, Robinson missed a wide-open triple that would have lessened its deficit to four points. After two offensive rebounds, Texas closed the game out and earned a much-needed conference win.

Missouri's next SEC battle is against the No. 16 Ole Miss Runnin' Rebels at 5:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 25 at Mizzou Arena.