The Missouri Tigers kept pace with Miami in the first half, but stumbled in the second, falling to the Hurricanes 80-66 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament Friday night.

Mizzou was only down 27-26 entering the half. The Tigers continued to play well throughout much of the second half, ultimately grabbing a 54-52 lead thanks to a Mark Mitchell three-pointer with 7:50 left to play. Miami would then rattle off eleven unanswered points to snatch the momentum and a commanding lead down the stretch, closing out the game in front of 17,000 fans at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

The Tigers were led by Jayden Stone, who finished with 21 points and six rebounds. Mitchell had 19 points while Anthony Robinson II came off the bench to score eleven. Mizzou shot just 35 percent from the floor and 36 percent from three. The Tigers did knock down 16 of 18 free throws.

The Tigers finish the season with a 20-13 record, ending the season with a four-game losing skid. Miami improves to 26-8 and will take on Purdue in the second round of the tournament on Sunday, March 22nd.