COLUMBIA, MO.-- Mizzou Men's Basketball fell, 73-53, to No. 7 Tennessee in its SEC-opener at Mizzou Arena on Wednesday night. The Tigers were handed their first loss of the season, snapping a 7-game win streak.

Tennessee was fueled by a hot shooting performance, finishing 53.8 percent from the floor and 71.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Volunteers were 5-of-7 from deep. Mizzou got down early, but clawed back to within 13 at halftime after trailing by 19. Tennessee responded though, starting the second half on a run and never looked back.

Mizzou was led by junior guard Xavier Pinson, who scored 11 points on the night, six of which came from the charity stripe. Senior forward Jeremiah Tilmon contributed nine points on 3-of-5 shooting. 

Turning Point

A 15-0 run in the first half gave Tennessee an early 19-point lead, as the Vols led 23-4 halfway through the period. Although Mizzou followed with an 8-0 run of its own, the Tigers weren't able to significantly cut the margin for the remainder of the game.

Top Tigers

• Dru Smith finished with six points, three steals, a pair of dimes and three boards. He has multiple steals in five games this season.
• Jeremiah Tilmon chipped in nine points on the night, snagged four boards, and recorded a block and a steal. With 81 blocks, he ranks 10^th all-time in program history.
• Xavier Pinson led the team in scoring with 11 points, converting 6-of-9 from the foul line.

Game Notes

• Xavier Pinson reached double figures for the sixth time in seven games to open the campaign.
• As a team, Mizzou tallied four blocks in the contest, the most since the Tigers recorded four against Ole Miss last season (3/4/20).
• Kobe Brown matched his career high with two blocked shots.
• Dru Smith has recorded an assist in 79 of his last 80 games and 49 multi-assist outings in his last 52 games.

Up Next

Mizzou hits the road to battle Arkansas on Saturday, Jan. 2. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. in Fayetteville, Ark. The game will air on CBS.