Tigers struggle at home in Big 12 play

~ Missouri fell to 1-4 in conference games at home this season.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Matt Lawrence was embarrassed, and he wasn't alone.

After an 11-0 start at home, Missouri has lost four of five at Mizzou Arena since the start of Big 12 Conference play.

"You're supposed to protect your court," Lawrence said. "We've got to be able to say that we can come back here and get a win when we need to because, relying on our home court, we don't really have that advantage yet."

Saturday's 92-74 loss to ninth-ranked Kansas was the worst of all the home losses.

Missouri coach Mike Anderson, left, argued with a referee just before he was called for a technical foul during the second half Saturday during the Tigers' 92-74 loss to Kansas in Columbia, Mo. The Tigers fell to 1-4 at home in Big 12 play after winning their first 11 games at home in nonconference action. (L.G. PATTERSON ~ Associated Press)

After Missouri took a 16-8 lead early in the first half to get the sellout crowd of 15,061 as raucous as it had been in any game this season, Kansas went on a 24-2 run and the Tigers never threatened again.

"You can't spot a top 10 team anything and expect to win," Kalen Grimes said.

Keon Lawrence thought Saturday was all set up nicely for the Tigers. It was just the third sellout crowd this season and scalpers were trying to sell $42 tickets in the lower section for as much as $150. And because Missouri lost by only three at Kansas last month, he thought a closer game was inevitable.

"Everybody was excited, everybody knew it was sold out," said Lawrence, who finished with 11 points. "We came here, and we just embarrassed ourselves."

That hasn't happened in every home game in conference play, but finding a way to win has proven to be tough. The Tigers entered Big 12 competition 11-2, with all 11 wins coming at home. But the Tigers dropped the Big 12 opener against Iowa State 66-65 on a last second shot and a late comeback against Kansas State fell short in an 85-81 loss.

Missouri's lone conference win on Norm Stewart Court came against Texas Tech, a 71-58 blowout when the Red Raiders played without two starters. Last week, against a Nebraska team that had one previous conference win, Missouri lost 66-61.

The Tigers bounced back from that loss by blowing out Iowa State 77-55 in Ames, Iowa. That win, and the fact that Kansas entered the game 0-2 at the new Mizzou Arena, made Missouri think it could play with the Jayhawks, who were coming off a 27-point win over Kansas State.

Coach Mike Anderson said his team lacks a go-to threat. Stefhon Hannah, Missouri's leading scorer at 15.4 points, finished with 19 points, but had five turnovers in the first half while Kansas took a big lead. Marshall Brown scored the first basket of the game, but finished with three points in 19 minutes.

"The hardest thing is to pinpoint and say, 'This guy is going to bring this, this guy is going to bring that to the table,'" Anderson said. "That's what Kansas has. You know what those guys are going to bring each and every night."

Grimes put all the blame on the players. He wonders how they can beat the same team on the road by 22 points but lose to it by two at home. Or how they can play a top-10 team like Kansas close on the road, but get blown out at home.

"I think it's just us, I think we let up at times," said Grimes, who finished with 16 points and nine rebounds.

Missouri (14-9, 3-7) has six games left before the Big 12 Conference Tournament, three of them at home. And if the Tigers want to make a case for a postseason berth, they'll have to play better at home.

"We've been playing terrible at home," Keon Lawrence said. "We have to find some way to pick it up."