Sophomore Johnathan Williams, III, tallied a career best 22 points to lead the Tigers
After sending the game to overtime behind a game tying three from freshman Tramaine Isabell in regulation, the Mizzou men’s basketball team fell just short in the extra period as the Oklahoma State Cowboys walked away with a 74-72 victory Tuesday evening at the Sprint Center.
In an exciting matchup between two former Big 12 Conference foes, Mizzou and Oklahoma State saw a total of 10 ties and 14 lead changes.
Down to their last shot in regulation, Isabell stepped back and knocked home a game tying 3-pointer to send the contest to overtime.
The two teams exchanged leads throughout the extra five minutes, with a combined nine ties and lead changes in the extra period, and the game once again came down to a final possession by the Tigers.
Down three with just three seconds remaining, sophomore Johnathan Williams, III stepped to the free throw line and knocked home his first attempt for a 74-72 game. Intentionally missing the second, Mizzou grabbed the rebound and had a chance to send the game to a second overtime, but freshman D’Angelo Allen missed a baseline layup as time expired to hand the Cowboys the win.
In the loss, Williams, III turned in a career high 22 points while also taking down a team leading nine rebounds. Tonight’s game marked the sixth straight contest he led Mizzou in both scoring and rebounding, while average 17.3 ppg. and 8.8 rpg. over the stretch.
Freshman Montaque Gill-Caesar and sophomore Wes Clark also finished with strong efforts, producing 15 and 12 points, respectively.
After a slow start by each team, Mizzou used hot shooting to end the first half with a 44 percent (11-of-25) field goal percentage, while the defense limited Oklahoma State to only 34.5 percent (10-of-29) from the field.
An 11-0 run late in the half keyed the 31-24 Tigers halftime advantage over the Cowboys. Clark led all scorers in the first half with nine points on 2-of-4 shooting and a 5-of-6 effort from the free throw line. In all, seven Tigers reached the score sheet in the first half.
The Tigers built a 12 point lead to open the second half, but a flurry by the Cowboys soon game Oklahoma State a one-point advantage, 41-40, with 13:04 left in the second half.
A balanced Cowboys attack began to take its toll on the Tigers down the stretch, and the visiting team built a six point lead with under 4:00 to play.
The Tigers cut their deficit to 61-59 with 10.2 seconds left when Williams, III nailed a 3-pointer. After a Mizzou turnover, Oklahoma State hit one-of-two free throws with just seven seconds on the clock to extend its lead to 62-59, setting the stage for Isabell’s heroics.
Mizzou begins the new year on Saturday, Jan. 3 with a home matchup against Lipscomb. Tip-off at Mizzou Arena is scheduled for 4 p.m. (CT) and can be seen on SEC Network.
