The play didn’t materially affect the outcome Wednesday at Mississippi State’s Humphrey Coliseum, but the symbolism was unmistakable for Missouri.
After the Tigers snagged two offensive rebounds on the opening possession of the second half, junior forward Jordan Barnett lowered a shoulder and drove hard from the left wing.
He was hacked by Bulldogs sophomore forward Aric Holman but still got up a shot — the ball rolling tantalizingly around the rim before settling on the back iron, where it stopped.
The hot-shooting Tigers led by four points at halftime, but that momentum — like Barnett’s layup try — stalled early in the second half.