Bates’ 36 Points Not Enough versus Florida

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Junior Tamar Bates had a career day for the Missouri men’s basketball team but it wasn’t enough as the Tigers dropped their Saturday night SEC contest to visiting Florida, 79-67.

The loss drops the Tigers to 8-10 on the season with a 0-5 record in Southeastern Conference play, while the Gators move to 12-6 and pick up their second conference win, improving to 2-3.

Bates led the Tigers 36 points on 13-of-21 shooting, including a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. Bates’ 36 points are the most in a regulation game and the most against a conference opponent since Jan. 16, 2006, when Thomas Gardner scored 40 against Kansas.

Graduate Nick Honor also added 10 points, while Sean East II contributed four boards, three assists, and a pair of steals in the contest.

To open the contest, Mizzou used its strong defense to force the visiting Gators into a 2-for-7 shooting start, capitalizing on the run to enter the first media timeout with a one-point advantage, 8-7. The two squads traded blows, going shot for shot as the Tiger lead bounced between one and four, until Florida pulled ahead with four minutes to go in the half.

The schools would trade the lead two more times in the opening period before Florida holding a slim lead entering halftime, 37-34. Bates accounted for half of the team’s points in the first 20 minutes with 17 points.

Bates would pick up where he left off in the second frame, collecting the Tigers first two buckets out of the break. Florida would find its footing and regain the lead, pulling ahead by seven thanks to an 8-0 run, before a tic-tac-toe transition dunk going from Jesus Caralerro Martin to Bates to Trent Pierce energized the crowd and made the score 50-45 in favor of UF. Mizzou would continue to fight, as Bates continued his strong performance, but Florida proved too much for the Tigers, as the Gators would use 11 free throws and three late triples to pull away, defeating, MU 79-67.

Florida outshot Mizzou in the contest, posting a 44.6 field goal percentage to Missouri’s 43.4 percent clip. The Gators also took advantage beyond the arc, making nine triples to just three by the Tigers.

UP NEXT
The Tigers are back in action on Tuesday night, playing at Texas A&M. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on SEC Network.