The No. 15 Tigers fell 85-81 on the road to the No. 4 Volunteers, a result that is respectable at face value. The Vols are a projected top seed in the NCAA Tournament and Mizzou was an underdog.
Yet even after the likely victor became the legitimate victor, there was a sense that MU (17-5, 6-2) could have won the contest — and certainly could win a rematch.
Missouri led at halftime, as it often has during Southeastern Conference play: The Tigers have outscored their league opponents by 55 points in the nine first halves of conference play.