South Carolina’s loss to Missouri was defined not by one explosive quarter or a dramatic collapse, but by a sustained second-half advantage in the fundamentals: tempo control, conversion of turnovers into points, offensive rebounding and timely shooting.
At halftime, the Gamecocks trailed by just 4 points (34–30) and had every chance to reset. Instead, Missouri came out of the break with the pace dialed up. One of the clearest indicators of the Tigers’ edge was their ability to turn South Carolina turnovers into transition points.
The Gamecocks finished the game with eight turnovers, and Missouri consistently made them pay, turning those mistakes into 11 points off turnovers as the Tigers pushed the lead out of reach.
"As the clock kept ticking, it just seemed like guys got a little more impatient on both sides of the ball," head coach Lamont Paris said.
That uptick in turnovers hurt South Carolina far more than a general possession count can show; each turnover by the Gamecocks between the 17 and 10 minute marks of the second half led to either transition buckets or early offense for Missouri, allowing the Tigers to extend a manageable deficit into a commanding one.
The Tigers aggressive rebounding amplified that advantage. The Tigers finished with 16 offensive rebounds and 16 second-chance points, a physical edge on the glass that carried through the second half and repeatedly erased South Carolina's defensive stops.
Missouri grabbed several offensive rebounds that reset its possessions. One stretch saw at least three offensive boards in under two minutes which kept the shot clock alive and helped wear down the Gamecocks' defense. Those extra possessions translated into sustained pressure and timely points for Missouri.
The Tigers’ scoring was anchored by efficient shooting and timely 3-pointers, particularly from graduate guard Jayden Stone, who scored a game-high 22 points, and senior guard Mark Mitchell, who contributed 20 points.
Stone hit two critical 3-pointers in the second half that stretched the lead, both coming after South Carolina had managed a brief scoring run. Mitchell’s presence inside, drawing fouls and converting from the line, also kept Missouri in control; he scored multiple free throws at key moments.
South Carolina had its moments with senior guard Mike Sharavjamts scoring double-digit second-half points, and redshirt senior guard Kobe Knox adding multiple baskets in the paint late. What hurt the Gamecocks was their inability to string these baskets together and create long scoring runs.
The Gamecocks’ other shooting stats tell the story of an inefficient night at critical moments. Graduate guard Myles Stute went 0-4 shooting from the arc, while shots from redshirt senior guard Meechie Johnson and others rimmed out. South Carolina also had several late turnovers negated opportunities to chip into the lead.
Meanwhile, Missouri forced defensive rebounds when it mattered, thwarting the Gamecocks’ attempts to capitalize on misses.
Missouri outscored South Carolina in transition, dominated second-chance points and hit timely shots while forcing South Carolina into low-efficiency possessions.
"Losing obviously sucks, but we have a really good group, and we know that we're capable," junior forward Elijah Strong said.