Wichita, Kan. – University of Missouri fell in the NCAA Tournament to Drake on Thursday night, 67-57.
The Tigers finish the season with a 22-12 overall record, a 14-win improvement from one season ago.
MIZZOU LEADERS
Playing in their final collegiate game, Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates led the Tigers in scoring with 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Junior Mark Mitchell added eight points and a team-best eight boards.
GAME RECAP
The Tigers got off to a strong start on the defensive end, forcing Drake into four turnovers on its first six possessions and five total before the first media timeout. However, the Bulldogs responded and grabbed a 13-7 lead thanks to an 8-0 run. A further 10-2 spurt by Drake allowed it to take a 28-18 advantage thanks to a defensive effort that forced four Mizzou turnovers and just 1-of-4 shooting during the stretch.
A basket in the waning seconds then allowed Drake to head into the half with a 30-23 advantage.
An early 9-0 run gave Drake a 43-28 lead early in the second half but the Tigers did not stop fighting. Mizzou took advantage of its ability to draw fouls and thanks to a 10-0 stretch, the Tigers pulled to within just a single point, 52-51, with 4:28 left in the game.
Drake once again responded with a 6-0 run to move in front by seven but the Tigers kept it close. Mizzou had one final chance to make a run but a missed open 3-pointer with 1:35 in a four-point game allowed the Bulldogs to earn the 67-57 victory.
TEAM STATS
Drake made 54.3 percent of its field goals with a 5-of-10 performance from 3-point range. Mizzou, meanwhile, converted just 33.3 percent of its field goals and 4-of-16 from beyond the arc.
The Bulldogs were also able to take advantage of Mizzou miscues, scoring 23 points off 17 MU turnovers.
