Junior guard Tamar Bates delivered a career-high performance, scoring 36 points in Missouri’s 79-67 loss to Florida on Saturday at Mizzou Arena. Despite Bates’ eighth consecutive game in double figures, the Tigers remained winless in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play.
The former Indiana Hoosier made a significant impact early, hitting two jumpers within a minute of each other. After a steal by Anthony Robinson II, Bates knocked down a jump shot, scoring another basket 56 seconds later to give MU a 14-11 lead with 14:11 remaining in the first half.
The guard contributed three field goals towards the end of the first half to keep Missouri competitive. Sean East II’s steal led to a fast-break layup by Bates, giving the Tigers a 26-25 lead with just under five minutes left in the half. In Mizzou’s next offensive possession, Bates sank a three-pointer. With just under two minutes to go in the half, the junior hit another jumper, reaching 17 points and tying the game at 34.
Photo Cred: Sports Illustrated
“He (Bates) didn’t let us off the hook,” Florida head coach Todd Golden Said. “He was knocking down a lot of tough shots and we tried not to make anything easy for him.”
The Kansas City, Missouri native continued scoring in the second half, making two straight field goals. Bates scored in the paint 36 seconds into the half and followed up with a jump shot, narrowing UF’s lead to 40-38 with 18:24 remaining.
The 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard stayed hot in the final stretch of the contest. Jesus Carralero Martin assisted Bates for a basket in the paint with just under 12 minutes left. Bates added another jumper at 6:12, reducing MU’s deficit to 65-54.
Photo Cred: WDAF – Kansas City
“I’m just going to take what’s given to me,” Bates said. “I’m not going to try to force anything and I’m going to see what shots are there for me to take.”
Bates’ next shot breathed life into Mizzou with 4:43 remaining in the matchup, narrowing the Gators’ lead to 69-59. He finished his productive night with one final jump shot, setting the score at 74-63 with 2:57 remaining in the contest.
The guard made 13 of 21 shots (62%) from the field, converting all nine of his free-throw attempts from the charity stripe. Missouri head coach Dennis Gates praised Bates for his hard work and determination that resulted in his stellar performance. Gates was also impressed by how his junior guard played on Saturday.
Photo Cred: Missouri Athletics
“That was one of the best performances by an individual player that I’ve seen in a long time,” Gates said. “He’s been working very hard in practice and has been watching a lot of film which plays a role in his development as a player.”
Unfortunately for MU, Bates was the only hot hand on Saturday. The only other player who reached double digits was Nick Honor with 10 points. Sophomore guard Riley Kugel made a three-pointer to give Florida a 63-52 lead with 7:36 remaining, and they maintained their advantage for the rest of the game.
Photo Cred: Yahoo Sports
