COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Men's Basketball (7-18, 2-11) dropped a thriller to Alabama (15-10, 8-5) on its home floor Wednesday night, falling to the Crimson Tide, 57-54, at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers had their chances late to either take the game into overtime or win it, but could not secure a crucial offensive rebound after Alabama missed the front-end of a one-and-one with under 30 seconds remaining in the game.

The Tigers were led by sophomore guard K.J. Walton (Indianapolis, Ind.), who continuing his recent hot streak with a team-best 12 points while dishing out a season-high three assists. He also contributed defensively, snatching two steals.

Sophomore forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) joined Walton in double digits, posting 11 points while also securing five rebounds. Junior forward Jordan Barnett (St. Louis, Mo.) could not shake Alabama's defense to drop a third straight 20-point game, but was big for head coach Kim Anderson's squad on the boards, ripping down 12 rebounds.

Mizzou's defense picked up right where it left off against Vanderbilt, suffocating the Crimson Tide offensive attack from the opening tip. The Tigers' defense held Alabama to just 18 points in in the first half, which was a season-low for an opponent's first half total in conference play. Alabama could not solve the Black & Gold's defense in the first frame, making just five of their 24 first half shots while turning the ball over seven times.

Walton scored nine points in the opening period, frequently driving to the bucket, either converting layups or getting himself to the free throw line. Walton also grabbed four rebounds in the opening frame. 

After a double-digit Mizzou lead was attained, Alabama cut the lead back to seven. The Tigers immediately struck back, scoring on back-to-back possessions, courtesy of a three-pointer from sophomore guard Cullen VanLeer (Pacific, Mo.) and a breakaway layup from sophomore guard Jordan Geist (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Alabama managed to close the first half strong, and shaved the lead to just five, 23-18, as both teams headed to the locker room.

Sophomore guard Terrence Phillips (Orange County, Calif.) worked to keep Alabama's offensive advances in check as second half play got underway. Phillips' fingerprints were all over the game early in the second frame, as he either scored or assisted on Mizzou's first eight points out of the break.

Alabama kept itself alive, tying the game up with 11:35 left in the second half. The Tigers quickly responded, scoring back-to-back buckets at the rim courtesy of senior forward Russell Woods (Chicago, Ill.) and Geist. Freshman guard Frankie Hughes (Cleveland, Ohio) hit a deep three-pointer, followed by a step-back three from Geist as the shot clock expired. The barrage from deep inflated Mizzou's lead back up to seven as Hughes split a pair of free throws with 7:05 left in the game.

The Tigers' lead quickly evaporated, though, as the Crimson Tide chipped away and eventually went on an 8-0 run to take a six-point advantage with 3:45 remaining in the game. VanLeer and Puryear knocked down four free throws to cut the deficit back to two, but after an Alabama bucket, the Tigers desperately needed a stop, as they were down four points with under two minutes to play. Walton again delivered for Mizzou, coming up with a steal on defense, then going coast-to-coast for a three-point play off of a reverse lay-in after being fouled. The dazzling play from Walton trimmed Alabama's lead to just one with 1:31 to play. 

Mizzou fouled on the next two possessions, and the Crimson Tide were able to stretch their lead out to three points. Phillips' half court heave had a chance, but went off the front of the rim at the horn for a final score of 57-54.

The Tigers next hit the road on Saturday, Feb. 18, as they head to Tennessee for a Noon CT matchup. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network and the Tiger Radio Network.

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