COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men's Basketball dropped a road contest to Mississippi State, 68-49, on Tuesday night in Starkville, Miss. Mizzou outrebounded the Bulldogs, 39-28, and held them to 40 points in the game's first 29 minutes, but couldn't get going offensively throughout the night.
Freshman Torrence Watson led a pair of Tigers in double figures, matching his career-high with 12 points in 26 minutes off the bench. Sophomore Jeremiah Tilmon added 11 points and freshman Javon Pickett contributed seven points and a career-high seven rebounds.
The game featured a defensive slugfest until Mississippi State pulled away in the second half, shooting 58.3 percent over the final 20 minutes.
TURNING POINT
With 8:36 remaining in the game, Mizzou cut its deficit to 42-37 after Watson drained another triple. Mississippi State responded in style, catching fire from beyond the arc to push in front by double-digits.
The Bulldogs hit three 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions and coupled the hot-shooting with defensive stops. The result was a 15-2 run and a five-point lead ballooning to 18 in a span of five minutes. Mizzou couldn't chip away at that gap in the final three minutes.
TOP TIGERS
- Freshman Torrence Watson led Mizzou in scoring for the second time this season, matching his career-high with 12 points. He's reached the 12-point mark five times during his freshman campaign.
- Freshman Javon Pickett chipped in seven points and a career-high seven rebounds.
- Sophomore Jeremiah Tilmon reached double figures for the 26th time in his career with 11 points and six rebounds.
- Sophomore K.J. Santos scored five points, his most in a game since Jan. 8 vs. Tennessee. Santos added a season-high six rebounds in 23 minutes.
GAME NOTES
- From 5:51 in the first half to four minutes into the second half, Mizzou held Mississippi State to just one field goal.
- The Tigers outrebounded Mississippi State, 39-28, matching their season-high with 16 offensive rebounds.
- Mizzou has outrebounded its opponent in seven of the last eight games and in 10 of the last 12 games.
- Watson has now hit at least one triple in nine consecutive games, draining a team-high three treys on Tuesday night.
UP NEXT
Mizzou returns home Saturday for a rematch with South Carolina. The game will tip off at Mizzou Arena at 2:30 p.m. CT and air on SEC Network. At halftime the 1993-94 Mizzou Basketball team will be honored on the 25th anniversary of the 1994 Big Eight championship.
For all the latest on Mizzou Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@MizzouHoops).
