COLUMBIA, MO. • No matter what happened Saturday at Mizzou Arena, the next few days always figured to be suspenseful around the Missouri basketball offices. Not so much Saturday on Norm Stewart Court.
The Mizzou basketball season was officially put to rest on the fifth day of March. Death by Gator bite. Many early bites, actually. Florida, riding a four-game losing streak and needing a win to keep its faint and fading NCAA Tournament hopes alive, took charge early, built a 21-point lead then watched the Tigers make their usual second-half rally. But, as usual, it came up short in an 82-72 loss.