COLUMBIA, MO.– Mizzou Men’s Basketball fell on the road to Mississippi State, 78-63, on Tuesday night in Starkville, Mississippi. Mizzou dropped to 7-2 (1-2) on the season, suffering its first road loss of the campaign.
It was a tale of two halves as Mizzou got off to a hot start in the opening half, shooting 50 percent from the field while holding Mississippi State to just 35 percent shooting. Mizzou had 10 assists at the break and led by 12.
Mississippi State surged back and stormed in front on the back of D.J. Stewart, Jr., who drained 10-of-14 shots en route to 24 points. The Bulldogs made 19-of-28 field goals in the second half. Mississippi State outrebounded Mizzou, 37-22, and got to the line 15 more times than the Tigers, cashing in 19-of-21 at the charity stripe to polish off its strong second half.
Junior guard Xavier Pinson dished out a career-high eight assists and added 13 points. Senior forward Jeremiah Tilmon led Mizzou for the second consecutive game with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting and eight rebounds. Redshirt senior Dru Smith added 11 points and three assists.
Turning Point
After a dominant first half performance by the Tigers, the Bulldogs used a 15-0 run to knot the score and eventually take the lead midway through the second half. A Kobe Brown three-pointer and Tilmon dunk temporarily halted the run, but the Bulldogs hot shooting proved to be too much. With four minutes remaining in the game, the Bulldogs used another 9-2 run to build a double-digit advantage and prevent a Mizzou comeback.
Top Tigers
- Jeremiah Tilmon paced the Tigers on offense, scoring 16 points on an efficient 8-for-10 shooting from the floor, while grabbing six boards.
- Xavier Pinson dished out a career-high eight assists on the night and also tallied 13 points, reaching double figures for a sixth straight game.
- Dru Smith shot 5-for-9 from the floor, scoring 11 points, and dished out two assists and tallied one steal.
Game Notes
- With 16 points, Jeremiah Tilmon has now tallied 15 or more points for the second time this season and the 13th time of his career.
- Mitchell Smith’s two steals in the contest set a new season high.
