COLUMBIA, Mo. — The last time Missouri’s basketball team played Tennessee, Tigers coach Cuonzo Martin savored the road victory with a primal scream as he walked off the court and through the bowels of his former arena in Knoxville.
That was a little over a year ago on Jan. 23, 2021.
It might as well be ancient history considering what’s unfolded in a year’s time.
The Volunteers, strong as always under Rick Barnes’ watch, came to Mizzou on Tuesday ranked No. 17 and dismantled Martin’s latest roster 80-61, matching the Tigers' worst margin of defeat at Mizzou Arena in this trying season.
In the Tigers’ penultimate home game of the season — and perhaps Martin’s, too, if the school decides to cut ties with the fifth-year coach — the Tigers suffered too many scoring droughts and allowed too many easy baskets to keep pace with one of the Southeastern Conference’s best teams.
The loss dropped Mizzou to 10-18 and 4-11 in the conference with three games left in the regular season, all but assuring the Tigers will play on the first day of next month’s SEC tournament as one of the bracket’s four bottom seeds. The Tigers have lost four straight games for the second time this season.
Tennessee, now 20-7 and 11-4 in the SEC, strengthened its chances to earn a double bye in Tampa, Florida.
Vols point guard Kennedy Chandler showed why he’s one of the nation’s best freshmen with a game-high 23 points, plus a team-best eight rebounds and six assists. Victor Bailey Jr., son of the former Mizzou wide receiver by the same name, pitched in 11 points, his most in an SEC game this season.
Javon Pickett led the Tigers with 16 points, while Kobe Brown and DaJuan Gordon both scored 12.
The Vols controlled the boards 40-34, outscored Mizzou in the paint 34-24 and blistered the Tigers from deep, shooting 9 of 18 from 3-point range.
It doesn’t get any easier from here for Mizzou, although after playing four games in eight days and three in five days, the Tigers could use the extra rest before Saturday’s visit to Louisiana State, where they’ll face former MU player Xavier Pinson, now LSU’s starting point guard.
Against one of the nation’s elite defenses, the Tigers opened the night playing a game of avoid the paint, finishing the first half with more turnovers (eight) than shots at the rim (seven) but twice as many 3-point attempts (14).
Brown picked up his second foul at the 10:22 mark and without him on the floor, his team promptly fell apart.
Just seconds into the ensuing possession Chandler scored off the inbounds. A few possessions later, Trevon Brazile didn’t get a body on Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and allowed an uncontested dunk. Seconds later, Chandler stole the ball at halfcourt before the Tigers could set up their offense and tried to rip down the rim with a vicious dunk for a 23-17 lead.
With Brown on the bench, the Tigers imploded on the offensive end during a 13-0 Vols run and mingled missed 3-pointers with turnovers during the drought. With little left to lose, Martin put Brown back in the game with two fouls, something he’s rarely done this season.
Mizzou got within six points of the lead a couple times late in the half, making it 33-27 on Gordon’s 3 before Santiago Vescovi answered with a 3 from the wing, putting the Vols in front 36-27 at the break.
The Vols suffocated the Tigers’ comeback hopes one possession at a time in the second half with a 16-3 run, holding the Tigers without for more than seven minutes.
