On March 21st, Missouri's men's basketball team saw their season come to an end in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Tigers fell 80-66 in the final game of the night on Friday. They finished the year with a 20-13 record after battling from behind for most of the matchup. Shooting troubles plagued Missouri right from the start.
By late in the first half, they were hitting just 26.9% from the field. That low output made it tough to keep pace with their opponent. Fans and analysts pointed to simple execution issues as the big culprit. You just can't win scoring only 66 points in a tournament game.
Missed chances close to the basket added to the frustration. Key moments like turnovers on fast breaks and pass-dub layups led to four shots that rimmed out. This seemed to make the team hesitant later on, with too much passing instead of attacking the rim. It's a tough way to bow out, but it highlights the fine line in March Madness.
Missouri heads into the offseason with lessons on sharpening that scoring punch.