Oklahoma Can't Keep Up With Missouri

It's incredible to still be saying this March 4, but before Wednesday night's game against Missouri the Oklahoma Sooners hadn't been faced with a real road test while at full strength all season. They didn't play any potential NCAA Tournament teams on the road in non-conference play, and Blake Griffin was injured in the first half of their game in Austin.

That finally changed when they went into Columbia, and while they didn't embarrass themseleves, the Sooners sure didn't have the look of a national title contender in their 73-64 loss to Mizzou.

No. 15 Missouri 73, No. 4 Oklahoma 64: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

The Tigers jumped ahead 13-5 in the first five minutes of the game and never relinquished that lead. They lived on putbacks and threes through the first half; DeMarre Carroll led the charge with nine points in the first period, and five offensive boards on the night. The effective shooting from deep was more of a group effort, as four different Tigers hit threes in the first half as the team combined for 6-for-14 shooting from beyond the arc.

Both Griffins had a solid first half for the Sooners -- Blake and his brother Taylor combined for 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting before the break -- but the rest of the team was very ineffective, shooting a dismal 3-for-20 from the field. Oklahoma's supporting cast has the opportunity to thrive when opposing defenses focus in on the younger Griffin, constantly throwing double- and triple-teams at him. But that didn't happen tonight, and it's the main reason that Missouri emerged with a comfortable victory.

The result isn't just a function of Oklahoma's failure of course. It actually wasn't an upset, as the Tigers were favored by four. Their frantic style clearly flustered the Sooners, both in forcing numerous turnovers and wearing Oklahoma down as the game went on. Griffin could be seen trying to catch his breath before shooting free throws multiple times down the stretch, and he ended up missing his final four shots from the line.

Despite now having lost three of four, the Sooners still have a chance to claim a No. 1 seed in the tournament. Two of those losses were without their star, and they're still 26-4 on the year. They need to beat Oklahoma St. at home on Saturday though, and then have a good showing in the Big 12 Tournament.

Missouri improves to 12-3 in conference and remains undefeated at home on the year. They'll travel to Texas A&M in a challenging game to end the regular season. The Tigers are probably in line for a three seed after this win, but they could easily move up or down depending on how things shake out down the stretch.