COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men's Basketball (8-10, 1-4 SEC) fought back in the second half, but ultimately fell 60-57 to Georgia (10-6, 3-3 SEC) inside Mizzou Arena on Wednesday night. Freshman guard Terrence Phillips (Orange County, Calif.), sophomore guard Namon Wright (Los Angeles, Calif.) and freshman forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) each produced double-digit scoring outings for the Black & Gold in the setback.
The Tigers opened the game with effective shooting, hitting three of their first four shots. Puryear shined early and often, producing four quick points and four rebounds. Midway through the opening half, Mizzou saw itself in a scoring drought, but Wright got the home team back on top with a key three-pointer.
Scoring runs by both Mizzou and Georgia closed the first 20 minutes of play as the game was even at 22 apiece heading into halftime. Sophomore guard Tramaine Isabell (Seattle, Wash.) scored the Tigers' final four points of the half and paced his team with seven first half points.
The opening of the second half once again saw each team shooting well from the field. Mizzou held a slim one point advantage before Georgia utilized a 17-0 run and built a game-high 16 point advantage.
Mizzou cut into the deficit following a string of costly Bulldogs turnovers. Wright keyed the Tigers' run as he exceeded double-digit points for the evening. Stingy defense led to further Georgia mistakes and Mizzou trailed by only three points with under a minute left in regulation.
Momentum was back on Mizzou's side, but the Bulldogs ultimately closed out the game at the free throw line.
Mizzou hits the road on Saturday, Jan. 23, with a visit to No. 10 Texas A&M. The game will be televised live on the SEC Network and is slated to tipoff at 3 p.m. (CT).
