Mizzou MBB hits first losing streak of the season with loss to Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (KMIZ)

The No. 20 Mizzou men's basketball team could not hold on to an early lead against the Florida Gators on Saturday, as the group fell 73-64 in Gainesville. The loss marks the first losing streak of the season for the Tigers.

With the loss, MU is now 13-4 this season and 2-3 in the SEC.

Florida big man Colin Castleton was a force to be reckoned with. He finished with quite the stat line: 16 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. It was his first game against Mizzou since 2021, since he had to sit out last year due to an injury.

Head coach Dennis Gates' group started the game with an 11-0 run and a total group effort in the scoring department through the first half. However, in the second half, Kobe Brown was the dominant scorer with 14 in that half alone. He finished the game with 21 altogether. The next closest scorer on MU's squad was Tre Gomillion with 11 points.

Florida and MU traded punches throughout the game, but the Tigers allowed three Gators to get into double-digit scoring, as Florida shot 47 percent from the field to Mizzou's 40 percent.

Up next - Mizzou will return home to face No. 15 Arkansas for the second time this season on Wednesday. That game will tip off at 8:00 p.m.