COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men's Basketball was defeated by Tennessee, 69-59, at Mizzou Arena on Tuesday Night.
Mizzou (8-6, 0-2 SEC) was led by Tray Jackson, who posted a career high 11 points, and Mitchell Smith, who sunk a pair of threes to tie his career high. Mitchell Smith finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
Despite a 12-0 Tennessee (9-5, 1-1 SEC) run spanning the final few minutes of the first half and the opening minutes of the second half, Mizzou was able to claw back in the game with scrappy defense. Both teams traded the lead 10 times on the night, while Mizzou was led off the bench by Jackson's nine points in the second half to grab a 53-50 lead with 6:41 remaining.
Tennessee answered with hot outside shooting, which propelled a 19-6 run to close out the game.
TURNING POINT
With 4:30 remaining in the second half, Tennessee guard Santiago Vescovi scored eight consecutive points to give the Volunteers an eight-point lead. The freshman made back-to-back threes to push Tennessee to a 69-59 victory.
TOP TIGERS
- Tray Jackson led Mizzou with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting, adding three rebounds.
- Mitchell Smith reached double figures for the third time this season, scoring 10 points to tie his career high. He added a season-high seven rebounds and a career-best three steals.
- Mark Smith was 2-of-5 from beyond the arc to contribute seven points. He also added four rebounds.
NOTES
- Mizzou's defense forced 21 turnovers on the night – the most Tennessee has had in a game all season. The Volunteers' previous high this season was 17 against Wisconsin.
- The Tigers have now forced at least 15 turnovers eight times this season.
- Freshman Tray Jackson set new career highs for points (11), field goals made (3) and 3-pointers made (1).
- Mitchell Smith tied his career high for points (10) and 3-pointers made (2) and grabbed a season-best seven rebounds. This is his third time in double figures this season.
- Dru Smith continued his streaks of 56 straight games with an assist and 25 straight games with a steal, both dating back to his time at Evansville. He has also has 29 straight multi-assist outings.
UP NEXT
Mizzou Men's Basketball will remain at home to face the Florida Gators on Saturday night at Mizzou Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
For all the latest on Mizzou's Men's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @MizzouHoops.
