Everything Dennis Gates Said After Mizzou's Loss to Arkansas

A full transcript from the head coach of the Missouri Tigers following the road loss.

Feb 22, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

After an exhilarating win over No. 4 Alabama, the No. 15-ranked Missouri Tigers suffered a disappointing loss at the hands of the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday night.

Missouri led 48-41 at the end of the first half, but Arkansas was able to draw fouls in a tense second half, taking 24 attempts from the charity striple in the half.

Missouri fell to 20-7 on the season and 9-5 in the Southeastern Conference.

Here's all that Missouri head coach Dennis Gates had to say to the media following the loss.

Opening statement:

"It was a great game, unbelievable atmosphere. Another SEC battle. We knew coming in that there was going to be a different energy in this building. Obviously, celebrating the national championship team. The other thing is, a must-win for both teams.

We didn't give ourselves an opportunity to get out to a good start. Five turnovers in the first nine possessions is one thing. The other thing, as it relates to the game — we got the rebounds, we won a rebound in battle — but when you have18 turnovers, that's going to their 30 points, and then there's a 20-point difference on the free-throw line, those are things that you can't do on the road and expect to win.

But our guys did a great job executing down the stretch trying to get that lead. We had the best shots available. It just didn't go in. And sometimes the ball bounces that way."

On what led to Missouri giving up turnovers:

"I'm always [going to] credit the defense. Always. Defense did a good job, and we just didn't secure the ball. I thought there was some plays where we could have finished stronger in the paint, Mark Mitchell could have finished over [Zvonimir] Ivišić and it was a no call, then it came back, and then they called one on us. So those plays where you have a no call and then a call, we count those in stats, and when those happen, those the things that kind put you in a bad spot.

Defensively, we did a better job, but offensively, we we're turning the ball over. Think about the turnover Mark had the first half, we had a loose ball stolen then they converted the steal to a dunk. Those are things that, for the first time, it was uncharacteristic. When you go several games of 18 assists, three turnovers, and then you see what took place at this moment, lot of it was self infliction, but they did a good job securing the ball and being able to create those opportunities."

On center Josh Gray missing the game due to an illness:

"Josh is a very important piece to us. At the end of the day, when you look at his experience, his size, his ability to protect the paint. ball screen defense, different things like that, he kind of relieves us in that manner. Of course, we missed him. Of course, there's no doubt about."

On what difference Gray's presence would've made:

"I'm not a psychic, now. I don't know exactly how the ball would have bounced. We played well, but we turned the ball over. We had 18 turnovers that went to their 30 points. We shot 17 free throws, made 13. They shot 37 and made 28; that's the game, guys. Josh Gray or not, that's the game. And our guys gotta be able to minimize those mistakes and convert how we convert."

On Jacob Crews and Marques Warrick's contributions off the bench:

"They carried us in the first half, as you guys saw that. That's why I went back with them to start the second. They did a great job, being able to get that depth, meaning points off the bench, that's something that's a staple for us. We ended up with 41 bench points tonight.

We just, again, we wasn't able, when the opportunities presented itself, we weren't able to secure loose balls, we weren't able to execute and draw the fouls that we normally draw at that rim. I think we drew five fouls in the first half, five or six or something like that, and that was tough for us. But we still came in with the lead [ in the second half], but it didn't negate aggression.

And sometimes, when you are able to, like a team like us, use our depth to create fouls, their depth is eight guys, one point guard. We go 14, and to not be able to come away with fouls, and that's something that we do. I mean, that was tough to see. We drew 18 fouls. If you look at the stat sheet they drew 27 and was able to get 37 free-throw attempts. That's just what it is."

On the balance of focusing on 3-point attack and also driving inside to draw fouls:

"Being a team that shoots how we shoot — we're only one or two teams in the country to make over 20 free throws a game and make over eight 3s a game. I can not control the whistle at all. That's not my job. But I do know Mark Mitchell is very, very good at drawing fouls, and there were a couple that Mark wasn't able to draw. And it's just that simple, they did a great job, Arkansas did a great job. Self infliction, 30 points off turnovers and again, 37, that's what we gave up."

On Missouri's scoring efficiency — specifically on second-chance points and 3-point shots:

"The percentage is low to our 17 (second-chance points on 17 offensive rebounds). I was hoping that that could get up to 20 plus, because that would have taken some other pressures away.

You know, you shoot 33% from the 3. Those are shots that we want to take. But. at the end of the day, we settled for those 3s because we were not getting what we wanted at the rim with those fouls. And Mark Mitchell, he didn't draw no fouls. He didn't."

On the enviroment:

"I give credit to Arkansas, they made one 3 in the first half and they made five in the second. That's the other part of the game that they were able to open up in that second half, that shooting percentage from 3. And that opened up some things that got the crowd excited, and some of those threes came from second chance, came from turnovers. And that's when obviously it got a little bit of louder."

On Caleb Grill going 2 for 12 on 3-point shots:

"Well, I thought he did a good job taking the ones that was open and for him to be able to knock that down. I look at the first three, when he got fouled, I count that as a 3- point make too in my eyes. So he had three 3s, and that's really good. But in that second half, I thought the ball just didn't fall for him, and they were open.

[Mar]'Ques did a great job of knocking down shots in the first and second half, I thought when we were down five and [Tamar] Bates got that steal and 'Ques was on the left, we had Ant Robinson [II] on the right, that's the one that we probably want back to get to 'Ques and possibly get down two points with a minute left. And that's the one that replays in my mind, because he was the hot hand. He was able to knock down some shots for us tonight. I'm proud of that."