Missouri Falls Flat vs. Tennessee in 2nd Half, Remains Winless in SEC Play

Still looking for their first win in conference play, the Missouri Tigers stood opposite one of college basketball's best squads as they played host to the No. 5-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, but despite a strong first half, it wasn't enough to overpower their visitors.

Matt Guzman | Feb 20, 2024

Missouri Falls Flat vs. Tennessee in 2nd Half, Remains Winless in SEC Play /

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Missouri Tigers

Tuesday night's SEC East showdown at Mizzou Arena featured two polar-opposite teams. One was seeking to remain atop the rankings in the NCAA, while the other was still without a conference win.

Spoiler alert: the Missouri Tigers weren’t the former.

Still, they took center stage against the second-best team in the Southeastern Conference — on paper, that is — with a chance to nab a win on a night that otherwise held no implications.

In other words, with little to play for, barring no holds was the name of the game for Missouri, and despite its valiant first-half effort — securing a lead and holding Tennessee to under 30 points — it wasn't able to outlast its visitors for the second half.

A late run sparked by Dalton Knecht allowed the Volunteers to keep up with the Tigers and then surpass them, and by the eight-minute mark in the second half, the game was all but finalized.

Tennessee secured its 10th conference victory while Missouri fell to 0-13 in the same ranking with just five more chances to earn a victory.

Next up for the Tigers will be a matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks on the road. Tipoff from Bud Walton Arena is set for 11 a.m. CST Saturday.

The game log is below:

Sean East II, Anthony Robinson and Tamar Bates - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 :: Amber Winkler / MizzouCentral

Sean East II - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 :: Amber Winkler / MizzouCentral

Missouri Coaches - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 :: Amber Winkler / MizzouCentral

Noah Carter - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 :: Amber Winkler / MizzouCentral

Nick Honor - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 :: Amber Winkler / MizzouCentral

Dennis Gates - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 :: Amber Winkler / MizzouCentral

Aidan Shaw - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 :: Amber Winkler / MizzouCentral

Mabor Majak - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 :: Amber Winkler / MizzouCentral

Jesus Carralero-Martin - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 :: Amber Winkler / MizzouCentral

Kobe Brown - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 / © Amber Winkler-MizzouCentral

Missouri Basketball - Missouri vs Tennessee - Feb. 20, 2024 :: Amber Winkler / MizzouCentral

Who: No. 5 Tennessee (19-6, 9-3 SEC) at Missouri (8-17, 0-12)

When: 6 p.m. CST, Tuesday

Where: Mizzou Arena

TV: SEC Network, Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (analyst)

Last time out, Tigers: Mizzou was edged at Ole Miss, 79-76. Leading scorer Sean East II returned after missing two games due to an injury and finished with 25 points and six assists. He's averaging 16.0 points and 4.2 assists per game.

Last time out, Volunteers: Tennessee crushed Vanderbilt 88-53. The last two wins have been by an average of 32 points. Dalton Knecht is the leading scorer with 20.1 points. Jonas Aidoo is averaging 11.7 points to go with a team-leading 7.5 rebounds, while Zakai Zeigler adds 11.0 points a team-best 5.6 assists.

The series: Tennessee is 1-3 over last four outings versus Missouri after winning each of the prior four contests. Since the Tigers joined the SEC the Vols have a 9-6 edge. Dennis Gates is the only SEC coach Rick Barnes has never beat, as Mizzou knocked the Vols out of the SEC Tournament last year, but UT hasn't lost in Columbia, Mo., since Jan. 17, 2018.

Missouri Starting 5	Tennessee Starting 5
Jordan Butler	Jonas Aidoo
Tamar Bates	Dalton Knecht
Nick Honor	Zakai Zeigler
Noah Carter	Santia Vescovi
Sean East II	Josiah-Jordan James

First Half

14:29 - A foul on Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey marked the fourth of the evening for the Volunteers, but despite some early whistles, only a combined five points were scored to that point. Missouri has Jesus Carralero-Martin on the free throw line with a chance to add more points to the board, but trails by three. Tennessee 4, Missouri 1

11:54 - Timeout on the floor by Dennis Gates and company. Nothing on offense seems to be working for the Tigers, though their defensive is ensuring much of the same for the Volunteers. Not much change in score as the back 10 minutes of the first half loom. Tennessee 4, Missouri 2

9:08 - Tamar Bates knocked in the first non-free throw show of the game from beyond the arc while Nick Honor responded with a make of his own. Tennessee — after scoring on the other end in between the two possessions — was unable to further its lead and sits just two points ahead of the Tigers. Offenses are beginning to flow now. Tennessee 9, Missouri 7

7:10 - In front of Kobe Brown, who was honored at the eight-minute media timeout, Missouri gained possession on a diving jump ball, which led to Noah Carter securing the first lead of the night for his squad. Mizzou Arena is buzzing. Missouri 12, Tennessee 11

4:55 - After a stagnant beginning to the half for both squads, back and forth scoring is beginning to ensue. Still an extremely low-scoring game, but the Tigers are proving they won't go down easily. Another shooting foul has Sean East II back on the free throw line with a chance to take back the lead. Tennessee 19, Missouri 18

3:40 - The biggest culprit of a low-scoring game? A low shooting percentage. Missouri is shooting better than Tennessee with an egregious 30-percent clip, while the Volunteers have yet to shoot a 3-pointer. The Tigers now hold a slim two-point lead with the final minutes of the first half winding down. Missouri 22, Tennessee 20

2:12 - Nick Honor air-balled a 3-pointer from the left wing after opting for a one-man fast break, but the rebound went to Noah Carter, who found Sean East on the opposite wing for a 3-pointer of his own — this time, drilling it. Mizzou Arena is as loud as its been all evening, with the Tigers up by five. Missouri 27, Tennessee 22

Halftime - Missouri 29, Tennessee 26

A defensive struggle has told the story of Tuesday evening's action, as neither the Tigers nor Volunteers have crossed the 30-point mark on offense. Despite poor shooting and intense pressure up and down the court — which both teams struggled with — Missouri was able to gain a slight edge at home over the exalted visiting Tennessee squad.

Second half up next, and stats below:

First half stat-lines for both the Missouri Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers

Second Half

16:13 - Missouri came out of the gate hot, already cashing in on three 3-pointers between Nick Honor, Noah Carter and Sean East II, but despite an already-improved offensive showing, the Volunteers have begun to heat up as well. With four minutes down in the second half, only a seven-point lead stands between the two squads. Missouri 40, Tennessee 33

13:37 - A foul on Jesus Carralero-Martin marks the Tigers' seventh of the half with only six minutes played. Tennessee, in contrast, has had zero called on it. Not a direct issue for Missouri just yet, but it could very well be sending the Volunteers to the free-throw line for over half of the second period if it isn't careful. Missouri 42, Tennessee 39

9:24 - Nick Honor sank another 3-pointer, but a pair of put-back makes by the Volunteers has them back in the lead at the halfway mark of the second period. Both squads are finding offensive success now, so defense will likely tell the story down the stretch. Tennessee 53, Missouri 49

7:48 - A run sparked by Tennessee's Dalton Knecht has the Volunteers out front by eight points with seven minutes to play. A combination of inside passes and behind-the-arc shots leaves Missouri with a hole to climb out of. Tennessee 60, Missouri 52

3:42 - The energy in and around Mizzou Arena is now diminished as the Volunteers have pulled away from their hosts in what's shaping up to be a double-digit loss for the Tigers. A valiant effort by Missouri, but likely not going to be enough to scrape together a win. Tennessee 67, Missouri 54

1:07 - A late possession by the Tigers threatened to make the last minute of action competitive, but after Sean East II missed his first of two free throws, it became a shootout, and one the Volunteers prevailed in.

Final Score - Tennessee 72, Missouri 67

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MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.