Three Takeaways from Missouri's Loss to South Carolina
The Missouri Tigers basketball team fell to South Carolina 72-64 on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers still remain winless in the SEC and the Gamecocks have officially completed the regular-season sweep in the battle of Columbia.
This matchup had many factors that influenced the outcome in Columbia, S.C. Here are three takeaways:
Absurd Three-Point Attempts Differential
Missouri and South Carolina were practically even in nearly every stat category, but the Gamecocks' makes from downtown was the ultimate difference maker on Saturday.
South Carolina hit 10 of 25 shots from behind the arc for a stellar 40 percent. 30 of their 72 points were because of their confidence to let it fly.
Missouri, on the other hand, landed 2 of 8 from that area. 25 percent isn't that big of a worry, but rather the lack of attempts is what cost them the game.
The Tigers were on the wrong side of the scoreboard for most of the game even though it was typically close. Had they taken more threes, they would've had a much better chance to pull off the upset.
Lack of Scorers
South Carolina's ability to spread the ball around provided them with a lot of momentum as four players finished with double-digit points, including forward B.J. Mack's game-leading 21.
Throughout their 0-7 start to SEC play, it seems like the same two or three players are the only ones scoring 10-plus points for Missouri. Guards Sean East II and Tamar Bates were those two on Saturday, as they scored a combined 37 of the team's 72 points.
Missouri forward Noah Carter was the sixth man for the second consecutive game with hopes of helping the bench, but he tallied just seven points on 3-of-10 shooting. Four bench players (including Carter) saw minutes but scored a combined 15 points. South Carolina also had four bench players, but they recorded 26.
One Thing to be (somewhat) Proud Of
Although they definitely could've attempted more shots from behind the arc, the Tigers absolutely dominated down low in the paint. Bates and East helped lead Missouri with 40 points in this area compared to South Carolina's 20.
The Tigers shot an efficient 51.2 percent from inside the arc, which helped them stay in the game against a team with just three losses on the season. Nevertheless, despite the better percentages, this shows the true difference between two and three-point field goals.
