Ranked Tigers No More? Missouri Suffers Second-Straight Loss, Falls to Florida 73-64

After a hot start in SEC play, the Tigers have seemingly hit a wall, leaving them in need of a solution before their upcoming Arkansas rematch.

Add another loss for the No. 20 ranked Missouri Tigers, who now sit at 13-4 on the season after its second straight loss.

Despite the fifth 20-plus point performance from senior forward Kobe Brown, lackluster defense in the final minutes of their match against the Florida Gators ended the Tigers’ least impressive week of the year with a 73-64 road loss.

The game began promising — Missouri getting off to an 11-0 start led by Brown, who scored two quick buckets inside the paint.

In response, the Gators began to hit their shots, especially behind the arc. On the night, head coach Billy Napier’s team shot 43 percent from 3 — which would have been about even with the Tigers, had it been any other game this year.

Instead, the Tigers only managed three 3-pointers on the night, shooting an abysmal 16 percent from distance.

Brown and Missouri guard Tre Gomillion made up the points in other ways, outscoring Florida by 16 inside the paint, and kept the game close throughout the first half, which ended tied at 28.

The second half continued in a similar way: close and up for grabs. Senior forward Noah Carter came alive late in the half, attempting to keep the game within reach as the Gators continued to outshoot the Tigers outside of the paint.

Carter finished with 12 — the second-most behind Brown — but could not will Missouri to a victory, as three clutch free throws from Florida effectively put the game away.

Since the last iteration of the AP top-25 rankings, Missouri has gone 0-2, both games coming against SEC opponents, which only pushes them further down in the conference standings.

As the Tigers look ahead to their rematch against a highly-ranked Arkansas team, they will certainly look to address some of their on-court issues: their ability to close out games, as well as shoot 3s consistently.

Fortunately for Missouri, the rematch comes at home, with a chance to get back in the win column and start a winning streak once again. Both Tiger fans and Razorback fans will head to Columbia Jan. 18 for the 8 p.m. tip. 

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You can follow Matt Guzman on Twitter @mattgzman

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