Dennis Gates accepts blame for Arkansas loss, apologizes to Missouri fans

With their loss to Arkansas on Wednesday, Missouri fell to 8-13 overall and 0-8 in the SEC as the team that’s currently in last place in the league. That’s why, after another defeat, Dennis Gates took responsibility for his role in it and even apologized to the fans in the arena who watched their slow start turn into another bad outing.

Gates opened his postgame press conference with those statements following the 91-84 loss to the Razorbacks last night. As the leader of their team, he shouldered the blame for the fact that the Tigers didn’t come into the game with the necessary energy for them to compete with.

“We came out flat to begin the game,” said Gates. “I take full responsibility as a head coach. We cannot come out that flat.”

“Regardless of what I have to do as the leader of this team? I have to do it,” Gates said.

That also led to the apology from Gates to the 11,000 or so fans in Columbia. It was a quality showing from them but, in return, they didn’t get their team’s best, especially to start out with.

“A home game in front of a great crowd? I thank our crowd for coming out,” Gates said. “I definitely apologize for our performance, especially in that first 10 minutes of the game.”

After a competitive first seven minutes, Arkansas, a team that came in struggling in their own right, opened it up to a 19-point lead by the end of the half. That carried over after halftime with the ‘Hogs taking their largest lead of 23 before the first media timeout.

In total, the Razorbacks shot 54.1% from the field, including 4-6 (66.7%) attempts from distance. Four players scored 13 or more points with three of the quartet hitting 54% or better from the field. Most of that came down low with 56 of their 91 total points coming in the paint.

That defensive outing is what was even more frustrating for Gates. Even though they went with their game plan for the most part, they still just couldn’t slow Arkansas down.

“We had great practices. I thought our guys gave their effort,” explained Gates. “The details of our scouting report? Our guys followed.”

“Credit Arkansas. They scored, I think, 56 total points in the paint, 30 in the first half. 19 field goals,” Gates said. “Defensively? You can’t win games that way.”

Following Gates’ first season at the helm that went about as well as it could have, year two has trended in the wrong, opposite direction. Now, with Mizzou still searching for their first conference win as they head into February, all he knows to do is go back to the tape and search for answers when it comes to his team.

“I’ll look at the film and figure out what else I need to do to as a head coach,” said Gates.