COLUMBIA, Mo. — The 21st-ranked Tennessee Volunteers never found a rhythm offensively on Wednesday night in Mizzou Arena, falling to Missouri, 59-55.

After back-to-back threes by the Tigers, the Vols (12-5, 3-3 SEC) faced a 10-point deficit with 6:43 remaining. UT would fight back to make it a one-point game with 1:33 left in the game.

After a stop on defense, Tennessee had a chance to take the lead, but a turnover in the paint with less than a minute to play gave the Tigers the ball back to run the clock down. The Volunteers were forced to foul with 14.4 seconds left. Junior guard Jordan Geist knocked down both free throws to make it a 3-point game.

On the ensuing trip down the floor, Mizzou fouled James Daniel III with 4.4 seconds left, converting on just one of the attempts. Tennessee was forced to foul after the second attempt, and Missouri forward Kevin Puryear drained both attempts to seal the game.

The Vols were led by Grant Williams, who finished with 15 points, five boards and a pair of steals in 35 minutes of action. Kyle Alexander posted 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting to go along with four rebounds and three blocks. Admiral Schofield chipped 11 points as well to round out UT’s double-digit scorers on the night.

Missouri (13-5, 3-2 SEC) was locked in to begin the second half, going on a 7-0 run over the first four and a half minutes of play to take a 34-27 lead. The Vols responded with a 9-2 run of their own to tie things up at 36-36.

Tennessee struggled early on in the game, never finding a consistent flow on offense. The Vols shot 34 percent (11-of-32) from the field in the first half compared to Mizzou’s 45 percent (10-of-22). Schofield led the way for UT in the half with seven points, two boards and two steals.

Despite the sluggish shooting, the Volunteers never trailed in the period because of strong on-ball defense, tallying six steals in the frame. Missouri would heat up on offense to end the half, though, knocking down seven of its final 11 shots to tie things at 27-27 going into halftime. The score marked Tennessee’s lowest point total in a half this season.

UP NEXT: The Vols head to the other Columbia in the SEC to take on Frank Martin and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena on Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. ET(SEC Network). UT then returns home for its second meeting with the Vanderbilt Commodores on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. ET.

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE: Despite the outcome, Tennessee’s defense in the final minutes of the game gave it a chance to win the ball game. After going down by 10 with 6:43 remaining, the Vols didn’t surrender another field goal for the remainder of the contest.

-UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Three Tennessee women’s basketball signees have been invited to play in the 2018 McDonald’s All American Game on March 28 in Atlanta.

Amira “Mimi” Collins, a 6-3 forward from Waldorf, Md. (Paul VI Catholic H.S. [Fairfax, Va.]); Zarielle “Zay” Green, a 6-0 guard from Duncanville, Texas (Duncanville H.S.); and Jazmine Massengill, a 6-0 point guard from Chattanooga (Hamilton Heights Christian Academy); were extended invitations on Tuesday. Collins and Massengill will play for the East, while Green is a member of the West roster.

The trio is slated to attend the festivities and take part in the 17th edition of the girls’ game, which will be showcased at Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta. UT’s fourth signee, Rae Burrell, a 6-1 wing from Henderson, Nev. (Liberty H.S.), was a nominee from her home state but was not among the final selections.

Lady Vol head coach Holly Warlick and her staff followed up last season’s four-player class of McDonald’s All-Americans with a group of three this time around. That two-year total of seven is the second-most ever assembled over a two-year span by the UT program behind the 2007 (3) and 2008 (5) collection of eight. The most recent McDonald’s All-Americans bring the all-time total of Lady Vol honorees to 34, including 13 players who signed during Warlick’s six seasons as head coach.

Tickets for the 2018 McDonald’s All American Boys and Girls Games go on sale Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. EST via Ticketmaster or the Philips Arena box office. Ticket prices start as low as $10.

Games week will kick-off on Sunday, March 25 with a free Fan Fest at Atlanta’s Atlantic Station (1380 Atlantic Drive) from 12-6 p.m. EST. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a day of live entertainment, basketball-themed activities and McDonald’s food.

The POWERADE® Jam Fest – featuring McDonald’s All American Games players in a three-point shootout, dunk contest and shooting competition – will be held Monday, March 26. The competitions will air live at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN2.

-UT Athletics