Without Jeremiah Tilmon, No. 10 Missouri falls to Arkansas in OT - Columbia Missourian

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Down two points to Arkansas with fewer than 10 seconds remaining in regulation, Missouri men’s basketball needed more late-game heroics.

From Jeremiah Tilmon’s game-winning layup against Bradley to Xavier Pinson’s overtime-clinching 3-pointer against TCU, the Tigers are no stranger to late comebacks. They entered Saturday 5-0 in games decided by 5 points or fewer.

Facing a similar circumstance, Missouri’s Dru Smith drove down the lane, drew two defenders and found Parker Braun for the layup, tying the game at 73. Then, Braun blocked Arkansas’ Davonte Davis’ shot, sending the game in OT.

However, Missouri’s magic ran out in OT. The Tigers managed just one field goal in the extra period. They got to the free-throw line nine times in the final five minutes but missed three of them. Arkansas went 3 of 5 from the floor in OT, knocked down seven free throws and defeated Missouri 86-81.

It was the second-straight loss for Missouri. The Tigers opened the week ranked No. 10 in the country for the first time since the 2013-14 season. However, back-to-back losses to unranked opponents put the Tigers in their biggest hole yet this season.

It's the first time Missouri has lost back-to-back games this season. In a time where teams hope to be playing their best, the Tigers haven’t, losing a prime opportunity to jump ahead in the rankings and gain a win on a tournament-caliber team in Arkansas.

Missouri stuck with Braun late in part because of Tilmon’s absence Saturday. Tilmon took a leave of absence due to a death in his family, the team confirmed. Tilmon posted 25 points and 11 rebounds in the first matchup against the Razorbacks. The senior, is having his best statistical season as a Tiger, averaging career-highs in points (12.8), rebounds (7.8) and blocks (1.4).

Forward Mitchell Smith replaced Tilmon in the starting lineup. Smith made his first start of the season and hit his first two 3s, finishing with eight points. Smith entered Saturday shooting 18.5% from beyond the arc. Smith fouled out in OT.

Arkansas’ Moses Moody went to the bench after picking up his second foul six minutes into the game. Moody, the Razorbacks’ leading scorer (16.3), is a projected NBA lottery pick in this year’s draft and is one of the best shooters in the nation. Following his move to the bench, Arkansas went on a four-minute scoring drought, turning the ball over multiple times. Missouri took advantage of Moody’s foul trouble, jumping out to an eight-point lead midway through the first half.

Torrence Watson got some early minutes off the bench. Watson has been in and out of the rotation, having three DNPs this season. When Watson has played, it’s been sparingly; he averaged 5.9 minutes per game entering Saturday.

Earlier this week, Assistant coach Cornell Mann spoke about the possibility of Watson seeing more minutes.

“I 100% believe that there’ll be a time when Torrence has to step into a game and play well and will do a great job," assistant coach Cornell Mann said.

Watson made an instant impact, knocking down three 3s. He played a season-high 26 minutes Saturday, finishing with nine points.

Arkansas’ Connor Vanover was hardly a factor in the first half, registering only a block and a turnover. However, Vanover made his presence known in the second half. The 7-foot-3 big man scored 12 points in the second half, going 5 of 6 from the field with one 3-pointer. His play was a large part in Arkansas taking the lead for portions of the second half. Without Tilmon, Missouri lacked the height to throw off Vanover, or any Razorback for that matter. Arkansas had 36 points in the paint, while Missouri had 28.

Missouri hit a season-high 13 3-pointers. Xavier Pinson went 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Pinson led Missouri in scoring with 23 points. Dru Smith was the only other Tiger in double digits, scoring 15. Drew Buggs had a season-high eight points, hitting his first three of the season. He had been 0-for-10 prior.

Justin Smith led Arkansas with 19 points. Three other Razorbacks scored in double figures. Arkansas shot 46.8%, while Missouri shot 44.3%.

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Without Jeremiah Tilmon, No. 10 Missouri falls to Arkansas in OT - Columbia Missourian
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