#1 Jayhawks Suffer Second Straight Loss as Rally Falls Short at Mizzou

For the first time since the renewal of the Border War rivalry, the Kansas Jayhawks lost to the Missouri Tigers on the hardwood.

The #1 Jayhawks trimmed a 24-point second-half deficit to just two late, but couldn’t complete the comeback and lost to the unranked Tigers 76-67 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia on Sunday afternoon.

The defeat marks the second in a row for KU after a 7-0 start. The Jayhawks had previously lost at Creighton on Wednesday night and are now 0-2 in true road games this season.

Kansas turned the ball over 15 times in the first half and trailed 39-25 at the intermission. Missouri stretched the lead to as big as 57-33 with 14 minutes to play, but Kansas put a rally together late, holding the Tigers scoreless for a stretch of over five minutes at one point. A three-point play by Dajuan Harris cut the lead down to 65-63 with 2:20 left, but Mark Mitchell hit a three for Missouri on the other end and KU would get no closer.

Tamar Bates scored 29 points to lead the Tigers in the victory, their first over Kansas since 2012. Mitchell added 17 points. Both Bates (Piper) and Mitchell (Bishop Miege/Sunrise Christian) played their high school basketball in the state of Kansas. Hunter Dickinson led KU with 19 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.

The Jayhawks are back in action this Saturday when they welcome North Carolina State to Allen Fieldhouse.