I was going to have some fun with last night's box score, but The Boy stole some thunder with his comments in today's links. Still, there's a treasure trove of barely fathomable numbers to dissect.
As The Boy noted, Colorado didn't shoot a single free throw last night. Not one. Can you remember a Big 6/7/8/12 game in which any team ever got the goose egg from the line? Me either. Mizzou's media guide doesn't seem to have an entry for fewest free throws attempted by an opponent in a game, but I know, at the very least, a record was matched last night.
Also, the teams combined to make just four free throws. Another guess, but I'll bet that's the lowest total ever in a Big 12 game.
Almost as remarkable is that the Tigers turned the ball over just FOUR TIMES in the game. Again, the media guide doesn't list a record, but I'd be shocked if any modern Tiger team had fewer turnovers in a game. We are, after all, approaching a limit. Perhaps even more shocking is that Mizzou's guards combined to turn the ball over just once (Lyons had two of the four turnovers, Safford had one). I don't care how soft the defense was, that's quality work by the Tigers' perimeter guys, and is the single biggest reason the team prevailed.
The Boy noted that Carroll is hobbling, but it's still remarkable that the team's leading active scorer and rebounder played 25 minutes and recorded just two points and two rebounds. That's another one for the Elias Sports Bureau folks to sort out: Has a D-1 player who is leading his team in scoring and rebounding in February or later ever played more than half the minutes in a game and contributed a combined four or less points and boards? And has that player's team ever won? I'll bet it has happened, but less than once in every one thousand games, maybe once in ten thousand games.
Despite turning the ball over only four times and shooting a respectable 43.9% from the field, Mizzou scored just 60 points. And despite turning the ball over a respectable 14 times and shooting an impressive 51.1% from the field, Colorado scored just 53. That tells you about all you need to know about the pace of the game. With Mizzou's depleted depth, and Jeff Bzdelik's deeply deliberate style, this wasn't 40 Minutes of Hell; it was 40 Minutes of Leisurely Strolling Through a Nature Preserve (oooh! a butterfly!).
The Tigers' 60-point output was the second lowest of Mike Anderson's tenure, and the lowest total in a win. Missouri hasn't scored fewer points in a victory since February 19, 2005, when Quin Snyder's Tigers beat Nebraska, 56-53. That season's team, if you'll recall, was no stranger to offensive ineptitude, scoring 60 or fewer points on eleven occassions.
See anything else magical, mystical or maniacal in the numbers? Leave a comment.