In a dramatic turn of events, Missouri surrendered 12 consecutive points in the last 3 minutes and 26 seconds to Georgia, resulting in a first-round exit from the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The Tigers’ 64-59 loss to UGA marked the conclusion of their season, marred by 19 consecutive losses and no victories in conference play. Missouri finished the 2023-2024 season with an 8-24 overall record. Coach Gates’ second season at the helm ended in a heartbreaking manner. Bulldogs guard Justin Hill, who contributed 17 points, made a turnaround jumper in the paint to reduce MU’s lead to 59-54 with 3:26 remaining.
Photo Cred: Rock M Nation
Following a defensive stop, center Russel Tchewa drew a shooting foul on Noah Carter. Tchewa converted one of two shots from the free-throw line to narrow UGA’s deficit. Georgia guard Blue Cain intercepted Carter’s pass on a full-court attempt and assisted RJ Melendez on a layup, cutting the Bulldogs’ deficit to 59-57 with 2:29 left to play. Melendez secured a rebound after Sean East II missed a three-pointer on the subsequent possession. The junior guard grabbed an offensive rebound following his missed layup and found Hill for a three-pointer, giving Georgia a 60-59 lead with 1:43 remaining.
In the following possessions, Nick Honor and Cain missed three-point attempts. With 24 seconds on the clock, Honor missed a turnaround jumper, and Carter failed to convert a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound from Honor’s miss. Hill secured the rebound and was fouled, resulting in two successful free throws on a one-and-one situation, making the score 62-59. With one final opportunity, Carter missed a three-point shot with six seconds remaining, and Cain secured the rebound for the Bulldogs. Cain sealed the game by sinking both free throws, concluding Missouri’s season.
Photo Cred: USA Today
The Tigers held the lead for most of the second half. MU continued its momentum from the end of the first half by scoring seven consecutive points. Tamar Bates, who finished the game with 11 points, provided Missouri its first lead of the night with a three-point play off a turnaround jumper just 20 seconds into the half, giving them a 33-31 advantage. Gates’ team led by as many as eight points when Connor Vanover grabbed a rebound and scored a layup with a little over 14 minutes left in the game at 43-35.
East, Honor, Carter, and Vanover concluded their collegiate careers on Wednesday. Honor led MU in scoring with 14 points, while Carter contributed 11 points with five field goals. East finished the game with nine points, including a layup off Carter’s assist that extended the Tigers’ lead to 59-52 with 3:38 left to play. Vanover achieved a double-double with 10 points and ten rebounds.
