The Missouri Tigers came back from down by 11 to take the lead with 13:35 to play only to struggle with outside shooting in the 2 nd half as the UCONN Huskies deny the Tigers their first trip to the NCAA Final Four winning 82-75.

The Tigers took at 50-49 lead with 13:35 to play on a Keith Ramsey layup, but missed seven three point attempts and could never carry over the momentum as UCONN held off the Tigers.  After Mizzou went up, Kemba Walker who finished with a game high 23 points, scored off a layup to put the Huskies up 52-50.  Ramsey came back with a jam on the other end to tie the game and Walker hit two free throws to put UCONN back up 54-52.  The Tigers held, but missed five shots including two three pointers.  Mizzou finally tied the game on a Leo Lyons jumper but UCONN answered right back the other way to take a 56-54 lead.  After starting the second half 1 for 13, the Huskies made clutch shots and free throws in the final 10 minutes to never let the Tigers get closer than three down the stretch.

Hasheem Thabeet turned out to be a non-factor offensively finishing with just five points after getting into foul trouble.  Thabeet did finish with 13 rebounds.  UCONN shot 26 of 32 from the free throw line.

The Tigers started slow hitting just three of their first 10 shots, but it was UCONN who worked the ball inside and out jumping out to a 13-2 lead just a little more than three minutes into the game.  UCONN had an 11 point lead a couple of times throughout the first half, but Missouri turned up the defensive pressure and started hitting from the outside.

Mizzou forced 11 first half turnovers from a team that has averaged just 12 turnovers per game.  After missing his first three point attempts, Matt Lawrence bounced back to hit a couple more.  He had eight points along with Leo Lyons and DeMarre Carroll.

The Tigers cut the lead to three twice.  Once with 6:23 to go at 28-25 on a Lawrence three pointer from the top of the key and then again with 3:23 to play at 36-33 on a Carroll layup.

Hasheem Thabeet, the big 7’3 center wasn’t much of a factor in the first half playing with two fouls.  He had just two points at the break, but I thought it was valuable for Huskies’ coach Jim Calhoun to be able to save Thabeet for the second half.  Those early fouls may have kept his stamina for the second half.

Jeff Adrien was big for UCONN.  He scored 10 points and had three blocks.  In fact the Tigers were blocked five times, but I was OK with that, because Missouri needed to attack inside to open up the outside shooting.

The problem was that Missouri couldn’t knock their shots down when they needed in the second half.  Matt Lawrence and Leo Lyons finished their careers tied with a team high 13 points.  DeMarre Carroll had 12.  The Tigers were just 5 of 18 from three point range. 

Tigers postgame