The Missouri Tigers are proud of their teamfirst attitude.
That was put to the test Saturday night at Texas. And there was little doubt of a failing grade in the 71-58 defeat to the Longhorns.
"We're a team that shares the basketball," Missouri coach Mike Anderson said Monday. "We didn't make the pass when we had the opportunity to make it."
Missouri entered Saturday night's game averaging 17-plus assists on its way to 85 points per contest. But the Tigers managed a paltry six assists against the Longhorns, five coming from Phil Pressey.
Even when the Tigers got good shots, they often couldn't convert. Missouri finished 19-of-56 (33.9 percent) from the field.
"We had open shots, we just couldn't make them," Anderson said. "And when you have a team playing as well as Texas is right now, that can be a problem."
Just ask Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford. The Cowboys dropped a 61-46 decision at home to the Longhorns last week, shooting just 32 percent from the field in their lowest scoring output of the season. The Longhorns holding Big 12 opponents to just 54 points a game, the best in the conference.
"Anybody will tell you, Texas is a very good defensive team," Ford, whose team will host the Tigers on Wednesday, said. "Dogus Balban and Gary Johnson are seniors and they're leading that defense and that makes everybody else play harder."