COLUMBIA, Mo. — In a tight contest at home, the University of Missouri men’s basketball team could not hold off Florida, 66-65, Wednesday afternoon. The game was moved up to a 2 p.m. start time due to weather.
“We’re keeping our spirits up,” said Kobe Brown. “Tough things happen, these are tough games. We lost to Auburn by one, we lost this game by one. It happens. We have to stay the course, keep working hard and it’ll pay off. Hard work pays off.”
Florida shot eight free throws in the final five minutes of the game to come back from a nine-point deficit. As a team Missouri shot 13-of-25 (52 percent) from the floor, including three made three-pointers but could not edge the Gator’s 19 made free throws in the second half.
Ronnie DeGray III led Mizzou’s scoring efforts with 13 points, including a perfect 4-of-4 in the second half. DeGray III also added three rebounds and a block for his most points against an SEC opponent. Jarron Coleman and DaJuan Gordon also added double-digit scoring efforts with 12 and 10, respectively. Gordon was near his first double-double of the season with a team-high nine rebounds.
TURNING POINT
Missouri used a 6-0 run early in the second half to gain its first lead of the game, eventually edging out to a nine-point lead. The Gators then chipped away with a 9-1 run, with seven of those points coming at the charity stripe. Mizzou took a three-point, 65-62, lead on a layup by DeGray III with under 40 seconds left but the Gators made four-straight free throws to end the game as Mizzou was unable to connect on a shot at the buzzer.
GAME NOTES
- Wednesday marked the 40th-consecutive game for Missouri with multiple athletes in double-figures and the second-straight with three or more.
- Jarron Coleman improved his stretch of consecutive games with a made three-pointer to 14.
- Kaleb Brown had a career-high six points, including the first three-pointer of his career.
- The Tigers’ last four SEC games have been decided by less than four points.
- Wednesday marked just the second time this season Mizzou has been defeated when outrebounding its opponent. The Tigers’ had a 27-26 edge on the glass, with eight offensive rebounds.
- Mizzou outscored Florida in points in the paint, points off turnovers and second chance points.
UP NEXT
Mizzou heads on the road for an important pair of back-to-back road games. The Tigers will first take on Texas A&M for a rematch from the meeting earlier this season where the Aggies’ escaped Columbia with a three-point win.
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For all the latest information on Mizzou Men’s Basketball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @MizzouHoops. Fans should call 1-800-CAT-PAWS for tickets or buy online today!
