COLUMBIA, MO.— Mizzou Men’s Basketball dropped its regular season finale with an 86-80 loss to LSU on Saturday afternoon. Eight different Mizzou players scored at least six points, but the balanced effort wasn’t enough to overcome LSU’s offensive onslaught.
Redshirt senior guard Dru Smith led the Tigers with 17 points, four assists, one steal and one rebound. Junior Xavier Pinson chipped in 14 points, two steals and one assist. The two combined for four of Mizzou’s nine three-pointers.
Junior Torrence Watson came off the bench and drained two three-pointers to finish with a season high nine points. Drew Buggs added eight points on two 3-pointers. Mizzou’s bench accounted for 24 of Mizzou’s 80 points.
Sophomore forward Kobe Brown secured the second double-double of his career with 11 points and 10 boards.
LSU shot 52 percent and scored 34 points in the paint. LSU’s Cameron Thomas, who leads the SEC in scoring, poured in 29 points.
Turning Point
After five lead changes and a 22-11 run to end the first half, Mizzou entered halftime with the score knotted at 40-40 thanks to a Mitchell Smith three-pointer. Both teams battled through the second half, with neither team leading by more than six points. Mizzou tied the score at 80 after a great second effort offensive rebound and putback by Smith. LSU answered with a basket and got consecutive stops in the final minute to claim the win.
Top Tigers
- Kobe Brown secured his second career double-double and his first of the season, scoring 11 points and snagging 10 boards.
- Dru Smith tallied a team-high 17 points on 3-for-6 shooting, including two trifectas, and nine from the charity stripe. He added four assists, a board and a steal.
- Xavier Pinson chipped in 14 points, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the line, in addition to a dime and two steals.
- Drew Buggs came off the bench to post eight points, four boards and two steals.
Game Notes
- Kobe Brown earned his second career double-double of the season and his first since Feb. 22, 2020 at Arkansas.
- Five different Tigers sunk a three-pointer for the ninth time this season.
- Torrence Watson scored a season-high-tying nine points..
- The Tigers put up at least 80 points for the 10th time this season.
- Each of the past four matchups against LSU have been decided by six or fewer points.
Up Next
Mizzou travels to Nashville for the SEC Tournament on March 10-14 at Bridgestone Arena. Opponents and game times are still to be determined.
