Missouri’s Rally Falls Short in Baton Rouge as Early Hole Proves Too Deep
The Missouri Tigers gave fans a rollercoaster ride in Baton Rouge on Saturday, clawing back from a 14-point second-half deficit to make it a one-possession game more than once. But despite a spirited push, Mizzou couldn’t quite close the gap, falling 78-70 to LSU in a game that slipped away early and never fully came back into reach.
From the opening tip, it was clear Missouri had some catching up to do. LSU came out firing, ripping off a 10-0 run while Mizzou missed its first seven shots-including four from beyond the arc. It was a sluggish start that set the tone for the afternoon, and one the Tigers spent the rest of the game trying to recover from.
“We were a little bit in the mud,” head coach Dennis Gates said postgame, and he wasn’t wrong. By halftime, Mizzou was shooting just 33.3% from the field and 22.2% from three. The offense looked out of sync, and the scoreboard reflected it-Missouri trailed 37-27 at the break and had yet to lead at any point in the game.
But give this team credit: they didn’t fold.
In the second half, the offense finally found some rhythm. Missouri shot a much-improved 54.5% after the break, outscoring LSU 43-41 in the final 20 minutes. Jayden Stone led the charge with 20 points on an efficient 7-of-14 from the floor, while Mark Mitchell chipped in 13 and got to the free-throw line often, converting 7-of-10.
The Tigers made a living at the stripe-something that hasn’t exactly been their calling card this season. Entering the game, Missouri ranked last in the SEC in free-throw percentage at 66.4%, but on Saturday, they flipped the script. Mizzou went 24-for-30 from the line, good for 80%, and those points kept them in striking distance when the offense was still sputtering from the field.
But while the offense came alive, the defense couldn’t quite hold the line.
LSU, even without leading scorer Dedan Thomas Jr. (who has missed all five of the Tigers’ SEC games with a leg injury), had answers. Marquel Sutton was a force, dropping 26 points after a strong showing earlier in the week against Kentucky. Max Mackinnon added 20 of his own and continues to be a consistent threat in conference play, now averaging nearly 20 points per game in SEC action.
Where Missouri really struggled, though, was on the glass-particularly on the defensive end. LSU pulled down 16 offensive rebounds, turning those into 21 second-chance points.
That was the backbreaker. In Missouri’s three SEC wins this season, they’d allowed just 12 second-chance points per game.
LSU blew past that mark, and it made all the difference.
“It’s demoralizing,” Gates admitted. “Even that last possession, they found a way to get that offensive rebound. We’ve got to grab them with two hands.”
It’s the kind of gritty, physical detail Missouri had executed well in previous wins but couldn’t replicate on the road in Baton Rouge. And in a conference as deep and competitive as the SEC, those missed box-outs and 50-50 balls often come back to haunt you.
Despite the loss, there are positives to take forward. The second-half offensive surge showed what this team is capable of when it finds its rhythm.
And the improved free-throw shooting? That’s the kind of development that can swing tight games down the stretch.
Now sitting at 13-5 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, Missouri turns its attention to a big one back home. No.
21 Georgia comes to Columbia next, with tipoff set for 8 p.m. Tuesday at Mizzou Arena.
It’s a chance to bounce back, protect home court, and prove that Saturday’s stumble was just a bump in the road-not a trend.