COLUMBIA, Mo. — Mizzou Men’s Basketball (15-16, 7-11) defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide, 69-50, on Senior Day to finish out the 2019-20 regular season. The Tigers held the Crimson Tide to its lowest-scoring game of the season, and their lowest scoring performance since Jan. 6, 2018.
Head coach Cuonzo Martin collected his 50th win at Mizzou, as the Tigers sent off their lone senior Reed Nikko with a victory at Mizzou Arena.
Redshirt junior Dru Smith led the Tigers on Saturday, scoring a team-high 17 points and dishing a season-best eight assists in the regular season finale. Dru Smith also recorded two steals, pushing his season total to 64. He is now sixth on Mizzou’s all-time single season steals chart.
Mizzou went to the locker room with a 21-20 lead at halftime, holding Alabama to its lowest-scoring half of the season. Mizzou used a key 10-0 run in the second half to distance itself, capped off with a Javon Pickett 3-point play set up by redshirt junior Mitchell Smith’s hustle for a loose ball.
Turning Point:
With eight minutes remaining in the contest, sophomore Javon Pickett punctuated a 10-0 Mizzou run with a 3-point play.
The Tigers never looked back, and junior Mitchell Smith converted a triple to extend the lead out to double-digits for the first time with four minutes remaining. Mizzou extended its advantage with tough defensive stops, conversions at the free throw line and three deep triples from Mark Smith.
Top Tigers:
- Dru Smith finished with a team-high 17 points, as he also hauled in two rebounds, dished a season-best eight assists and collected two steals. Smith reached double figures for the 18th game this season.
- Mark Smith tallied 13 points for the Tigers, including three triples in the last five minutes of the game. Smith also collected five boards and a steal.
- Mitchell Smith recorded 10 points on Saturday afternoon, going a perfect 4-of-4 from the field.
- Senior Reed Nikko posted three points, three rebounds and a block in his final regular season win at Mizzou Arena.
- Junior Jeremiah Tilmon chipped in eight points and added a season-best nine rebounds.
Notes
- Mizzou recorded its fourth win all-time vs. the Crimson Tide, and its first win over Alabama at home since Jan. 18, 2014.
- The Tigers held Alabama to its lowest-scoring half of the season after allowing just 20 points.
- Dru Smith moved up to sixth all-time on Mizzou’s single-season steals chart with 64 thefts and counting. That marks the most steals in a season since Phil Pressey’s 74 steals in 2011-2012.
- Xavier Pinson recorded a new season-high and tied a career-high with three steals today. Pinson also tied a season-high in rebounds with seven.
- The Tigers outrebounded the Crimson Tide, 42-27, and now have a record of 11-6 when outrebounding their opponent this season.
- Mitchell Smith was in double-figures for the eighth time this season.
- The Tigers held the Crimson Tide to just 50 points, its lowest scoring game this season and their fewest points since scoring just 46 at Georgia on Jan. 6, 2018.
- Cuonzo Martin recorded his 50th career win with Mizzou, 23 more than the previous coaching regime had in three full seasons.
- Mark Smith has now scored in double-digits 10 times this season.
- Mizzou’s 19-point win marked its largest margin of victory over an SEC opponent this season and the largest since beating Georgia by 25 on March 6, 2019.
Up Next
Mizzou’s opponent for the SEC Tournament Texas A&M Thursday at 5:30pm.
For all the latest on Mizzou’s Men’s Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @MizzouHoops.
