COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri men’s basketball failed the early test.
Coach Dennis Gates wanted challenges in his second year at the helm of MU, and he got one Friday night in the form of cold shooting and a gritty Memphis team. Mizzou blew a 14-point first-half lead to lose by an even greater margin, 70-55, at home.
Poor shooting across the board hurt both teams but especially hindered MU, which only scored 22 points in the second half. Across the entire game, Mizzou shot a brutal 18 for 56 from the field and six for 28 from 3-point range.