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Mizzou coach Dennis Gates addresses the media on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, following a Braggin’ Rights loss to Illinois in St. Louis. (Video by Ethan Erickson)
With 12 minutes to go in the first half of Friday night’s Braggin’ Rights showdown, a lot hung in the balance.
With the national TV broadcast turned to commercials, cheerleaders from Missouri and Illinois took to the court for a traditional competition of strength, stamina and, yes, balance. The guys held the gals aloft, forming and holding Statue of Liberty stances.
When the last Illinois pair caved, two sets of MU cheerleaders remained. And then the game came back. That had been hanging in the balance, too. Mizzou coach Dennis Gates called the timeout that brought the cheerleaders to the floor because the Illini had quickly and painlessly opened up a double-digit lead.
Missouri forward Noah Carter threw a lob to high-flying forward Aidan Shaw for an alley-oop dunk out of that timeout to bring the deficit down to nine. It could, perhaps, have been a momentum swing, the start of a run or the origin of a comeback story.
University of Missouri’s Jesus Carralero Martin Nick Honor and Noah Carter watch the final minutes from the bench on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, as the University of Illinois sealed their win in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game between at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
But no. That play was the last time Illinois’ lead was countable on just two hands as dastardly shooting dug Mizzou too deep a hole to do more than lose by the third-largest margin in Braggin’ Rights history to the No. 13 Illini.
The final score was 97-73, though the game’s latter stages were little more than competitive cardio.
“I think the game was over at halftime, to be honest,” said Illinois wing Quincy Guerrier, who averages 8.7 points per game but exploded for 28 against MU, laughing as he talked.
Missouri had enjoyed recent success against its easterly rival, having won four of the last five Braggin’ Rights games heading into Friday’s blowout, which served the Tigers a bit of their own medicine — on the rocks.
Icy shooting dragged down Mizzou, which shot six for 27 from 3-point range and 29 for 74 from the field. The Tigers struggled through runs of six and nine consecutive missed shots in the first half.
They were shooting “the same shots that we’ve made,” Gates said. “I’ll tell the guys to still shoot the same shots.”
Illinois, meanwhile, went 11 for 33 from 3-point range, including a 7-for-19 first half, winding up 32 for 65 from the field.
Those numbers were only one part of Illinois’ dominance. The Tigers, it seemed, played into the victors’ trap.
Mizzou turned to a full-court press as the game went on, marking the Illini all the way down the floor but leaking open shots to transition-prone Illinois. One such possession forced forward Aidan Shaw, in the game with four fouls, into a block attempt to recover from blown pressure. That play was his fifth foul and final bit of game action.
After the game, Illinois coach Brad Underwood was almost giddy when talking about the Tigers’ press. The Illini have an offensive efficiency rating, or OER, of 1.7, when playing against a press, “which is elite,” Underwood said. “Anytime you’re above 1.0 is really good.”
And so, as the second half rolled around, “I was begging for the press,” Underwood said.
Gates downplayed the impact of his decision to press.
“The thing was field goals, field goal percentage,” he said. “The pressure, we ended up forcing them into 10 turnovers — majority of those came in the second half. But when you shoot the field goal percentage that they shot in that first half, it’ll give you confidence.”
Speaking of confidence, such was Illinois’ that Underwood offered a shooting drill incentive to his players that would result in him canceling practice. Sure enough, the Illini met the standard and took Tuesday off.
“Our athletic director came over to watch practice and we were gone,” Underwood said. “I have that much confidence in this group.”
After the game, the Illinois coach tapped his play sheet full of sets the Illini were prepared to run on the table. He’d only called two of them during a 40-minute game that saw 70 Illinois possessions.
And at the core of what made the win so easy for Illinois was Missouri’s shooting. Per Synergy’s tracking, the Tigers were left unguarded on nine of their 17 catch-and-shoot jumpers, scoring nine points off of them.
And as has been the trend for Mizzou this season, its trips to the free throw line were a small percentage of the other team’s. The Tigers shot 16 free throws to Illinois’ 31.
“We’re not going to ever win a game shooting five free throws in the first half and then shooting one for 17 from 3,” Gates said.
Missouri now has a little more than a week to stew on its third straight loss — a feeling some Illinois players understand well.
“I remember going home and just being miserable on Christmas because of this loss and then we don’t play again ‘til the 29th,” forward Coleman Hawkins said.
The Tigers, actually, have to wait until Dec. 30 to return to action, when they’ll host Central Arkansas to close out their nonconference slate.
Then comes the Southeastern Conference gauntlet in the new year — but first, a bit of a look in the mirror for Mizzou.
“Ultimately, you want your guys to be able to come away, especially during this break, with a reflective mindset,” Gates said, “meaning what you can do better in this stage as we start to embark on the SEC schedule.”
University of Missouri guard Nick Honor watches the final minutes with coaching staff from the bench on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, as the University of Illinois sealed a 97-73 win in the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
The Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team celebrates their Braggin’ Rights game victory with head coach Brad Underwood on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Missouri Head Basketball Coach Dennis Gates pleads his case with a referee on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, as the University of Illinois sealed a win against the Tigers in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Missouri’s Jesus Carralero Martin Nick Honor and Noah Carter watch the final minutes from the bench on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, as the University of Illinois sealed their win in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game between at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. separates from Mizzou Jesus Carralero Martin on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game between the Fighting Illini and the Tigers at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
Missouri forward Aidan Shaw is fouled by Illinois guard Marcus Domask in the first half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, at Enterprise Center.
Illinois guard Quincy Guerrier celebrates a three-point shot on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the first half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game between the Fighting Illini and the Tigers at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
Illinois guard Terrence Shannon celebrates a 3-point shot in the first half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, at Enterprise Center.
University of Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins celebrates a score on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the first half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game against the University of Missouri at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Missouri Head Basketball Coach Dennis Gates directs his offense on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, as the University of Illinois sealed a win against the Tigers in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Missouri guard Nick Honor goes up against Illinois guard Justin Harmon on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the first half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Missouri guard Nick Honor meets Illinois guard Niccolo Moretti in the lane on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the first half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Missouri guard Sean East II collides with Illinois guard Luke Goode on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the first half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Missouri’s Jesus Carralero Martin pressures Illinoisguard Marcus Domask on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins is fouled as he drives to the basket on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, while Mizzou forward Noah Carter, left, and guard Nick Honor defend in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Illinois guard Quincy Guerrier is disrupted by Missouri forward Aidan Shaw on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Illinois forward Amani Hansberry elevates for a shot on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, Missouri forward Jordan Butler defends in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Illinois Head Basketball Coach Brad Underwood watches action from the bench on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game against the University of Missouri at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. signals the bench on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
University of Missouri guard Nick Honor meet stiff defense from Illinois forward Luke Goode on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in the first half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game between the Fighting Illini and the Tigers at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
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Mizzou coach Dennis Gates addresses the media on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, following a Braggin’ Rights loss to Illinois in St. Louis. (Video by E…
University of Missouri’s Jesus Carralero Martin Nick Honor and Noah Carter watch the final minutes from the bench on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, as the University of Illinois sealed their win in the second half of the 43rd Braggin’ Rights game between at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Illinois beat Mizzou 97-73. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
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