COLUMBIA, Mo. — Mizzou Men’s Basketball fell in its regular season road finale, 75-67, at Ole Miss on Wednesday night in Oxford, Miss. Mizzou stormed back to erase a 15-point first-half deficit, but a late Rebel run down the stretch was just enough to hold off the Tigers’ effort.
Sophomore Xavier Pinson led the Tigers in scoring with 16 points, and added five assists and four rebounds. Junior big-man Jeremiah Tilmon, Jr., posted 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench, his most points since Dec. 3.
Mizzou outrebounded the Rebels, 38-33, and converted 19-of-23 free throws to fight back in the second half. Ole Miss countered with a 44.9 percent shooting clip from the field and made enough plays defensively in the final three minutes to stave off Mizzou.
Turning Point:
Mizzou sophomore guard Torrence Watson followed a 3-pointer with a steal and layup to go on a 5-0 personal run and cut the Tigers’ deficit to nine at halftime. It launched a long Mizzou run that saw the Tigers tie the game at 51-51 on a Tilmon, Jr., offensive rebound and putback down low.
After Mizzou knotted the score, redshirt junior guard and defensive stopper Dru Smith was whistled for two fouls, saddling him with four with more than 10 minutes left. Ole Miss capitalized and the Rebels used a 6-0 run to push back in front by six. Mizzou got back within two after that stretch at the 4:55 mark, but couldn’t ever tie the game or seize the lead again.
