No. 2 Kansas went on a commanding 20-2 run in the final six minutes of the first half to seal Missouri’s fate. MU lost 73-64 to the Jayhawks on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. Despite continuing to battle in the second half, it wasn’t enough as the Tigers suffered their third-straight loss against KU.
Photo Cred: The Kansas City Star
Kansas Seizes Control in the First Half
Mizzou’s fortunes took a turn for the worse after they claimed a 27-21 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the first half. The Tigers could only manage one field goal for the remainder of the period…
Kansas forward KJ Adams Jr. drilled a jumper off an assist from Columbia native Dajuan Harris Jr. to start the 28-2 run. Kevin McCullar Jr. contributed a layup with just over five minutes to go. Former Missouri Tiger Parker Braun, now a KU forward, tied the game at 27 with a fast-break layup 22 seconds later.
The Jayhawks steadily built their lead following the final media timeout of the half. Adams found McCullar for a three-pointer, extending Kansas’ lead to 34-29 with 2:30 left. Harris then hit a jumper to give Kansas a three-possession lead.
Photo Cred: Columbia Daily Tribune
Harris connected with Adams for a jump shot with 33 seconds remaining. On the next play, MU guard Nick Honor turned the ball over, returning possession right back to the Jayhawks. In the final second of the half, Tamar Bates fouled McCullar on a three-point attempt. The San Antonio, Texas native converted all three free throws from the charity stripe to put the Jayhawks up 41-29 at halftime.
Throughout the final six minutes, Missouri turned the ball over three times. Honor had two turnovers, and forward Noah Carter had one as well. The Tigers’ lone basket during that stretch was a goaltending violation against KU on a layup from Connor Vanover.
Missouri Refuses to Quit
Despite the halftime deficit, Dennis Gates’ team narrowed the gap to single digits multiple times in the second half. In a three-and-a-half minute time span, MU went on a 13-3 run with buckets made by Carter, Vanover, and Honor.
Carter converted a three-point play to cut KU’s lead to 54-39 with 11:07 remaining. Vanover made a more significant impact in the second half, hitting three consecutive jump shots. Honor scored from beyond the arc after Curt Lewis assisted him, reducing the deficit to 57-49 with 7:32 left.
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Photo Cred: Rock M Nation
Mizzou put together another run, this time going 7-2, in a final effort to pull out a miracle on Saturday. Honor drilled his fourth three-pointer of the game to make the score 64-54. Almost a minute-and-a-half later, Bates found sophomore Aidan Shaw for a bucket in the paint with 2:28 remaining. Sean East II scored a layup off Honor’s assist to trim the deficit to 66-58 with just over two minutes left.
Despite the loss, The Tigers had some positives to build on. East finished with 21 points and six assists. Honor concluded the matchup with 17 points, shooting 4-for-8 (50%) from three-point range. Carter recorded seven points and seven rebounds, and Shaw made an impact in the paint with two blocks.
Looking Ahead
Missouri aims to bounce back as they head to Kansas City next Sunday to face off against Seton Hall at 4 P.M. CT at the T-Mobile Center.
