NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Missouri Tigers’ quest to reach the Southeastern Conference tournament semifinals will have to wait another year.
Arkansas’ mastery of the SEC continued Friday with an 70-64 victory over Mizzou in the tournament quarterfinals at Bridgestone Arena, denying the Tigers their first chance to reach the semifinals.
The Tigers (16-9) won’t have to wait as long to learn their postseason fate. They’re widely expected to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when the bracket is revealed Sunday.
A victory Friday would have helped their seeding, but Cuonzo Martin’s team couldn’t overcome a flurry of fouls, turnovers and some typical offensive droughts. On a night when the officials blew their whistles for 17 offensive fouls, the Tigers lost center Jeremiah Tilmon to his fifth with 5:26 left.
But the Tigers were hardly finished. Down 10 at one point, MU got back within three on a Parker Braun 3-pointer and Kobe Brown free throws, turning an Arkansas avalanche into a one-possession game. But J.D. Notae’s floater with a minute left beat the shot clock and all but squelched the Tigers’ rally for good.
The teams combined for 41 turnovers, 17 of those coming on player-control fouls. Xavier Pinson led Mizzou with 14 points, while Dru Smith added 11. The Tigers had no answer for Notae, who came off the bench to scorch MU for 27 points.
The No. 2-seeded Razorbacks (22-5), winners of 12 straight against SEC foes, advanced to Saturday’s semifinal to face the winner of Friday’s late game between No. 3 seed Louisiana State and No. 6 Mississippi. Top-seeded Alabama meets No. 4 seed Tennessee in the other semifinal.
Missouri drew blood first, taking a 10-point lead midway through the first half by attacking the Hogs inside while feasting on Arkansas missed jumpers and turnovers.
Then Notae showed up to the party. The SEC’s sixth man of the year erupted for 12 points during a 16-0 run, including back-to-back 3-pointers, one hoisted closer to half court than the 3-point arc. The Razorbacks made seven consecutive shots during the three-minute spree, turning a 10-point deficit into a six-point lead.
But the Tigers didn’t buckle. Tilmon ended Mizzou’s five-minute scoring drought with a jumper in the lane, followed by a Pinson floater. The Hogs punished Tilmon anytime he touched the ball, but he connected on three free throws in the half’s final minutes to even the score. MU regained the lead going into halftime, 33-32, on a corner 3-pointer from Javon Pickett. The Tigers shot 48% for the half but gave away 11 possessions with turnovers.
Arkansas went with a smaller lineup in the second half, keeping 7-foot-3 center Connor Vanover on the bench for good, but the Tigers quickly regained the lead with a quick 6-0 burst. It didn’t last long. As the fouls piled up, the Tigers struggled to drive the lane without getting whistled for a foul and weren’t much better from deep, shooting just 6 of 18 from 3-point range.
