Tigers find some solace as comeback falls short

Missouri’s basketball team returned from Fayetteville, Ark., with a worse record and many of the same concerns as when they left.

Still, a new sense of optimism surrounds the squad.

Before the 66-63 loss was officially recorded, there was a time — actually several times — during Friday’s game that it looked as if Arkansas (5-2) would hand the Tigers a humiliating 20-plus point loss. But by keeping the game within 15 points, the Tigers resisted the rout many expected against the heavily favored Razorbacks. And when Missouri (2-2) turned a 14-point deficit with eight minutes to play into a one-point lead with 80 seconds left, only to watch Marcus Watkins’ potential game-tying 3-point try rim out with two seconds left, there is little doubt a new light was shed on the young season.

“That’s something we can build on,” said Jason Horton, who had two late go-ahead 3-pointers. “I don’t think we’re going to play in a more tough place this year... you got 20,000 loud fans. That’s one of the toughest places we’ve played.

“I think we can take that and we know we can win anywhere basically.”

That’s a bold statement considering the Tigers didn’t actually win. But, the 17,427 fans on hand were indeed raucous, and Missouri did battle to the end, when missed free throws prevailed over hot 3-point shooting. Although the close game may have been exciting, the next step for Quin Snyder’s bunch is winning one on the road.

A year ago, the Tigers were 1-8 on opponents’ courts, and 2-12 away from Mizzou Arena including neutral games. Arkansas seems a likely fit for an NCAA Tournament team this year, and though the margin of victory wasn’t much, Missouri knows that it has no margin for road losses with its own sights on the field of 64.

“It’s important. We gotta start not just being there, we gotta start finishing the game out on the road,” Horton said.

“I think last year (if) we win a couple on the road, we’re a borderline NCAA (tournament) team.”

Alhough many team members have publicly stated the Tournament as their goal this season, many fans have been hesitant to jump on board. Attendance stands at an average of 6,598 per game through three home contests, less than half of Mizzou Arena’s 15,061 capacity. Given his team’s 16-17 record last season, Snyder knows convincing the faithful is an ongoing task.

“These guys want to make people believe in them,” Snyder said in his radio interview on KFRU after the game. “I think maybe people are reluctant to do that, but every time they step on the court they’ve got to show who they are. And I think over the course of a season you keep doing that and certainly you earn the respect of your coaches and your fans, and that’s what these guys need to keep doing — putting it all on the line, and being really unselfish.”

They get their chance soon. Missouri plays at Davidson on Wednesday. Davidson defeated Missouri 84-81 in Columbia last year.

The most obvious need between now and then is improved free-throw shooting. If it was a problem before, it’s now a glaring deficiency after Friday’s embarrassment from the line. An 8-for-17 showing dropped the Tigers’ season percentage to .594. That’s last in the Big 12, and No. 11 Nebraska stands a good deal better at .641.

The fact that the Tigers fought back and remained in the game with Arkansas despite their poor play from the free-throw line, is a positive nonetheless. How far those implications go depends a lot on the trip to Davidson, but for now, Missouri can take solace in a loss that could have, but didn’t get ugly.

“Sometimes when you’re on the road and down it can get away from you, and our guys, they stuck with I think the things that they know they need to be,” Snyder said.