Brown, Missouri win shootout with LSU

KJ Williams photo courtesy of Beau Brune, LSU athletics

Continuing its winning streak, Missouri (17-5, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) took down LSU (12-10, 1-8) by an 87-77 score with strong performances from Noah Carter (14 points, three rebounds), Isiaih Mosley (12 points, two rebounds), and of course, Kobe Brown (26 points, eight rebounds). 

Missouri snapped its eight-game losing streak LSU, only its second win in their history of matchups with the school. 

Brown once again had a double-digit game with 26 points, while Carter, Mosley, and Gholston pitched in as well. 

Missouri shot 55.9% from the field and continued to show their authority from the 3 point line shooting 48.1%. 

LSU struggled for most of the game, never taking the lead once. Murray State transfers KJ Williams (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Justice Hill (13 points, two rebounds) led the way. 

Hill tried helping his team out more from the 3-point line but could only convert on 3-of-11 attempts, resulting in a disappointing team percentage of 33.3% from the arc. 

Threes keep falling

Missouri remained hot from 3-point range, proving that when it can convert from the field and behind the arc, it's a team to watch out for in March. Within the first eight minutes, the Tigers had already drained nine 3-pointers. 

Over its last three games Missouri has gone 43 for 87 (49.4%) from behind the arc, posting 16-for-30 against Ole Miss, 14-for-30 against Iowa State, and 13-of-27 against LSU. 

In its three games before that, Missouri shot a measly 11-of-66. 

Brown was 5-of-6 from 3 point territory, providing him with 15 of his 26 points. Gholston and Carter also had the hot hands from the arc, each with three 3-pointers. 

Losing streak woes

The inferior Tigers of this game, Louisiana State, has now lost nine games in a row. Eight of these nine games have been against other SEC teams, resulting in a 1-8 record in the conference. 

LSU's next game is against fourth-ranked Alabama, making Tiger fans think they may be headed toward an unfortunate double-digit losing streak.

Williams, the leader of this LSU team, can only do so much. While he shot over 50% from the field, the rest of the team couldn’t follow. Williams, along with Derek Fountain, led the team with 11 rebounds each. They were able to supply the team with some momentum when they grabbed offensive rebounds and tried to give the Tigers a second chance, but it unfortunately didn’t work. 

Louisiana State also found itself in foul trouble during the game, with of four its 10 players having at least three fouls. 

SEC player of the year candidate?

Brown continues to show why he should be a SEC player of the year candidate after his big game against LSU. 

Coming into the game, Brown averaged about 16 points a game, but finished with 26 points against LSU. He was hot from the 3-point line and also helped out his team with his seven defensive rebounds. 

Mohammed Diarra (10 rebounds) was his only teammate that helped on the boards, showcasing Missouri’s weak spot of their height. 

Brown has averaged 43.9% from 3-point land and 56.9% on field goals. The only team that’s really been able to shut him down was Kansas. 

Next up

Missouri looks to continue its winning streak with its next game on Saturday, February 4, against Mississippi State. 

After that comes league games with South Carolina, Tennessee, and Auburn. 

Both Tennessee and Auburn are currently ranked, but that shouldn't phase Missouri, which has four Quad 1 wins this season.