Tigers Fall Behind, Can't Catch Up in Loss to Vanderbilt
Missouri basketball traveled to Nashville, Ten. for a battle of the winless SEC teams against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Tigers looked desperately for a win after a difficult loss to their rival Arkansas Razorbacks.
Graduate forward Noah Carter got out to an electric start, scoring the teams first nine points. The first bucket of the game came from Noah Carter off a half-court lob from graduate guard Nick Honor.
Carter scored two consecutive layups after, with a triple to follow.
The Tigers got out to a quick 20-9 start, scoring 14 points in the paint. They shot 9-for-13 during this stretch.
Vanderbilt quickly stormed back after freshman guard Isaiah West knocked down two straight triples. Senior guard Evan Taylor knocked another one down shortly after, shortening the Missouri lead to 20-15.
Graduate guard Sean East II came down awkwardly after a missed layup attempt holding his knee. He left the game, carried off by head coach Dennis Gates. He would return just minutes later.
The Tigers went cold after this, missing their previous seven field goal attempts. Sophomore forward Aidan Shaw snapped the streak with a euro-step layup. Senior guard Tyrin Lawrence responded with an up-and-under layup, making the score 22-21.
East II was able to score on his first possession back in the game, sneaking behind the Vanderbilt defense with a back cut.
Vanderbilt took the first lead of the game after Lawrence forced his way into the paint and finished strong at the rim again. Despite good defense from the Tigers, he was able to absorb contact and score.
The Tigers continued to miss quality shots, with Honor going 0-for-4 from the perimeter and Carter only scoring three points after his quick start.
Vanderbilt led 32-29 at half time with Lawrence and West at the head of their strong start. West, who had previously made four threes on the season, knocked down three in the first half alone.
Carter finished the half with 14 points and 4 rebounds, leading the team in both stats. Missouri as a team shot 37.5% from the field and 15.4% from three.
Graduate guard Ezra Manjon scored the first four points for the Commodores, getting to his same spot in the mid-range both attempts. Taylor hit a late shot-clock fade away to extend the lead.
Carter got the scoring started for the Tigers, knocking down a three to make the score 38-32.
One of Missouri's biggest struggles so far this season has been rebounding the ball, and those issues were highlighted in this game. With 15:37 to play, the Tigers trailed 23 to 16 in the rebounding category.
The Tigers went on another scoreless drought after the 15:37 mark, missing their last four attempts. Carter stopped that drought with a cut into the middle of the zone, scoring and getting the foul.
Junior guard Tamar Bates was very quiet throughout the game, but woke up after hitting a three at the 11:50 mark. This dropped the Commodore lead to only four points.
The Tigers switched to a 2-3 zone, which started to slow down the Vanderbilt offense. Vanderbilt's West would prove that wrong, hitting a corner three increasing his point total to 12.
Rebounding struggles continued throughout the half, with the Commodores snagging two to three offensive rebounds on certain possessions.
The Tigers got a big boost off a hustle play from senior center Mabor Majak, who lost the ball but dove on the ground. The Tigers recovered it, eventually leading Bates to a layup. Bates scored on the next possession, bringing the score within two points.
Freshman center Jordan Butler stuck got his hand on the ball on the defensive side of the ball, getting a steal. It led to a triple on the other end from Honor, only trailing 57-54 with 2:48 remaining. The following possession, the Tigers forced a shot-clock violation.
Tyrin Lawrence, with 45 seconds remaining, hit a fading mid range as the shot clock expired to extend the lead to 61-56.
The Tigers fell to the Commodores 68-61, falling to 8-14 overall, as well as 0-9 in conference play.
Carter led the Tigers in scoring with 20 points, with Bates right behind with 17. Both teams struggled from the perimeter, with Missouri shooting 27% and Vanderbilt 23%.
Vanderbilt dominated on the glass, winning the battle 42-31. They had 16 offensive rebounds to the Tigers 10.
Missouri faces off against Texas A&M at home on Feb. 7., and then the Mississippi State Bulldogs just three days later. They will look ahead to the next, still looking for their first conference win.