COLUMBIA, Mo. - A strong shooting performance from freshman guard Cullen VanLeer (Pacific, Mo.) and energy off the bench from sophomore guard Tramaine Isabell (Seattle, Wash.) was not enough for Mizzou Men's Basketball (5-5) to combat a big second half from NC State (8-3), as the Tigers yielded a 73-59 result on Saturday night.

VanLeer hit on 4-of-7 three-pointers in the game, the most successful makes from beyond the arc this season for a Tiger. The first-year player for head coach Kim Anderson sank 2-of-4 from deep in the first half as Mizzou battled the Wolfpack to a narrow 29-28 deficit in the first half.

Isabell led the Tigers with seven first-half points and added three after the break to enter double digits (10) for the third time his season and fifth time in his career. Isabell also tied a career-best with two steals for the sixth time in his career.

A VanLeer triple gave Mizzou a 19-9 lead at the 9:26 mark in the first half, but the Wolfpack inched closer to the Tigers for the remainder of the period before eventually taking the lead on their own three-pointer at the halftime buzzer. Junior forward Russell Woods (Chicago, Ill.) had just broken a 26-26 tie 15 seconds earlier with an emphatic two-handed dunk. Woods finished the game with four points (2-of-3 FG), four rebounds and two assists.

Freshman guard Terrence Phillips (Orange County, Calif.) put the Tigers ahead for the final time early in the second half with a three-pointer at 19:12, but a run of success for NC State followed.

Mizzou next heads to the Annual Braggin' Rights Game vs. Illinois on Wednesday, Dec. 23. The game, played in St. Louis' Scottrade Center, tips off at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. Ticket information can be found here.

For all the latest on Mizzou Men's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@MizzouHoops).