BATON ROUGE, La. - Mizzou Men's Basketball (10-20, 3-14) clawed its way back, cutting a 22-point halftime deficit down to three points, but ultimately fell, 80-71, to LSU (18-12, 11-6) on Tuesday. The Tigers outscored LSU, 47-34, in the second half, utilizing a 26-11 run to make the score 65-62 with 4:48 remaining in the game following a three-pointer from freshman guard K.J. Walton (Indianapolis, Ind.).
Three Tigers, freshman guard Terrence Phillips (Orange County, Calif.), freshman forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.), and senior forward Ryan Rosburg (Chesterfield, Mo.), scored 13 points to lead the way for Mizzou. Walton chipped in 11 points in the game, matching his season-high. Puryear and Walton each connected on three shots from beyond the arc to set season highs, while Phillips led the team with four assists and sophomore guard Namon Wright (Los Angeles, Calif.) led with eight rebounds.
Phillips powered the Tigers in the first half, scoring seven points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 marksmanship from the free throw line. Mizzou held close to LSU over the game's first five minutes, but a 16-4 run from LSU put the Tigers down 14 with 9:17 left in the half. LSU's lead was up to 22, 46-42 at the halftime break.
Mizzou showed resiliency in the second half, opening up the half on a 12-4 run. Puryear had five points in the stretch, while Rosburg added four. A layup following a drop-step on a post-up move from Rosburg closed the deficit to under 10 points for the first time since early in the first half at 63-54 with 7:48 left in the game. The Tigers finished off a 26-11 run after Walton connected on his third three-pointer of the game, to cut the lead to three at 65-62. It would be the closest Mizzou could get, as LSU finished the game on a 15-9 run to close out the score at 80-71.
Mizzou will finish the 2015-16 season with its Senior Night, honoring Rosburg, on Saturday, March 5, against Florida. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on the SEC Network. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for pregame recognitions.