Mizzou basketball's Dennis Gates and Jacob Crews detail how Mizzou basketball has struggled allowing runs on the season, and the importance of preventing runs against Vanderbilt.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Mizzou basketball has had a hard-fought battle with consistency the entire season. 4-0 runs from opposing teams don't stop at four points, or even six — they snowball into double-digit point runs, or an entire half's worth of a beatdown.
Texas scored on 80% of its second-half possessions against Mizzou on Saturday, shooting 16-for-26 from the field and 16-for-17 from the charity stripe.That simply cannot happen again should the Tigers aim to win out, especially against their next opponent, the No. 19-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores.
Vanderbilt is particularly dangerous in terms of runs — it went on a 28-10 run in the final 3:18 of its Feb. 7 game against Oklahoma
"We have to be able now to put 40 straight minutes together of consistent basketball with no panic," head coach Dennis Gates said. "Teams get up and down with the score. Runs happen, I think we've handled on the road well, being down in the last five minutes, six minutes of a game, close to seven or eight points, and then working our way back at home, we got to allow simplicity, allow ourselves to make plays for each other and not home run plays."
Who can the Tigers turn to to prevent the aforementioned panic? Themselves, but more specifically, their leaders. Starting forward Jacob Crews, who's known to play with his heart on his sleeve, mentioned team captain Anthony Robinson II as the one who brought him back to earth during a heated moment against Texas.
"There was a clip out there last game where Ant Robinson had to have my back, and he did," Crews said. "He got me back in the zone, got me back in there to motivate me, because it was tough... So it was good to know that he had my back. And I think if we continue to do that, you know, there's anything we can get through. I appreciate him for doing that, but that just shows the character of our team. You know, he's on the bench too, and you know, he could have whatever emotions about the run and everything, but he decided to be unselfish and look out for me."
Robinson has his fair share of heated moments too, but as Crews pointed out, the team can rely on each other to breathe life in difficult times — getting level mentally will keep the offense steady and prevent droughts.
Having the support of a home crowd as rowdy as Mizzou's should help with that.
"It's a game of runs," Crews said. "Last game, we had a really good crowd. I think they continue to support us. I think, you know, this is the hardest, one of the hardest places to play at when you're an opposing team."
But unlike years prior, homecourt advantage is smaller than ever in the Southeastern Conference. Even Mizzou, who has lost just four home games in the last two seasons, can fall victim to any traveling road team.
Ranked Kentucky lost to unranked Mizzou at home, ranked Florida lost to unranked Auburn at home and ranked Vanderbilt lost to unranked Oklahoma at home — Mizzou losing to Vanderbilt would be far from the biggest home upset this season.
"You have to be able to manage your emotions, manage the game, manage situations, and you hope the ball goes in a little bit more for you than it does the opponent, especially on your home court," Gates said.
Mizzou will have an opportunity to defend home court at 8 p.m. tomorrow when Vanderbilt takes the court at Mizzou Arena.