Mizzou outplayed by K-State. Puryear, “We just didn’t come out ready”

Kevin Puryear guards a K-State player Carlbe Ervin II (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

Kansas State freshman Dean Wade put together a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds and Justin Edwards added 13 points and the Mizzou Tigers were pounded by the Wildcats 66-42 in the semifinals of the CBE Classic in Kansas City on Monday night.

The Tigers, now 3-2, will face Northwestern Tuesday night after they lost to number one North Carolina in the second game.

Coach Kim Anderson was O.K. with the fact his team was getting open looks, but the shots weren’t falling, much like the Xavier game. Missouri was just 5 of 27 from the field at halftime.

The Tigers got away from driving and getting the ball inside and then Anderson said the team quit guarding as things got away in the first half.

Credit Bruce Weber’s game plan.  He knew the Tigers would try to come inside and packed down in a zone defense, forcing Missouri to try jump shots.  The looks were there, but this team has shown the inability to hit those shots.  Until that changes, these Tigers will continue to struggle.

Freshman forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) led the Tigers in scoring for the second time this season, scoring nine points while grabbing three rebounds in 31 minutes, but he wasn’t happy with the effort.

“We just didn’t come out ready,” said Puryear. “They played harder than us in all aspects of the game.”