Missouri Basketball: Michael Porter Jr. returns, but Tigers fall in second round of SEC Tournament
Michael Porter Jr.’s return couldn’t save the Missouri Tigers from an upset at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon.
Michael Porter Jr. finally made his glorious return to the Missouri Tigers on Thursday afternoon.
Michael Porter Jr. checks into game for first time since Nov. 10. pic.twitter.com/GSUxLvvZ4a
— Reid Forgrave (@ReidForgrave) March 8, 2018
It will be at least a week before the star freshman can suit up for them again.
Despite Porter Jr. playing his first minutes since November 10, the Tigers still fell to the Georgia Bulldogs in the second round of the SEC Tournament, 62-60.
Missouri jumped out to a hot start, scoring the first ten points of the game. Georgia proceeded to score 19 of the next 21 points, however, taking a commanding lead of their own; Mizzou would never lead again.
Georgia played as if their season depended on it, largely because it does. The Bulldogs finished 12th in the SEC and need a miraculous run through the conference tournament to make it to the Big Dance. Yante Maten played his part, scoring 21 points and grabbing ten rebounds; the rest of the starters scored 14 points combined.
Many of the statistics between the teams were relatively even. The Tigers struggled mightily with their shot, though, knocking down 22 of 64 attempts.
None of Missouri’s starters reached double figures in the scoring category.
Nevertheless, Cuonzo Martin and the Tigers should feel optimistic about Porter Jr. He struggled a bit with his own shot off the bench, making just five of 17 shots. He found other ways to contribute, though, grabbing eight rebounds while staying out of foul trouble.
While the upset is troubling, it shouldn’t affect Missouri’s NCAA Tournament resume too much. Entering the day’s play, we had Mizzou listed as a No. 8 seed. This loss should flip them to the other side of that game, but won’t knock them near the bubble.
Next: Making the case for MPJ's sophomore season
Georgia’s dream of an NCAA Tournament berth survives to Friday, where the Bulldogs will play Kentucky in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.