Mark Mitchell’s 32 points not enough for senior day win over Arkansas
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Despite a career effort from Tiger star Mark Mitchell, Mizzou could not come out with a win on senior day, as MU fell to No. 20 Arkansas 88-84 in overtime.
Mizzou worked from a deficit right out of the gates, on Saturday, as Arkansas took the first lead and never let go of it in the first 20 minutes. Razorback standouts Trevon Brazile and Maleek Thomas combined for 23 points in the first half, as head coach John Calipari's led by as many as 15 points early on.
However, MU forward Mark Mitchell went to work in the first half, as the only Tiger to get into double-digit scoring in the first 20 minutes. His 14 first half points, along with a seven-point effort from forward Trent Pierce, was enough to put Mizzou within three points at halftime, down 39-36.
Out of the locker room, the Tigers put their foot to the gas and took their first lead of the game with 16:42 left to play, thanks to a two-handed slam from center Shawn Phillips Jr. From there, MU and Arkansas traded buckets, for the remainder of the second half, with Mizzou only leading by as much as five.
With left than a minute to go, Mark Mitchell got all three points of an and-one layup, to pull ahead 74-73, but the Razorbacks managed to get to the line and force overtime. In the extra five minutes, the Tigers were able to pull in front thanks to a Trent Pierce three, but Arkansas got the lead back not long after, and protected it all the way to the final buzzer.
The effort was led by Mitchell, who hit more than 1,000 career points in his Mizzou career. The Kansas City, Kansas native now has more than 1,700 points in his career total.
Overall, Mizzou shot 48 percent from the field and 30 from 3-point range. However, perhaps the biggest stat line came in the rebounding category. The Razorbacks out-rebounded the Tigers 38-34.
Up next - Mizzou will await its matchup and seeding for the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. The action will begin on Wednesday, March 11.
