Dennis Gates on need to draw more fouls: ‘I don’t control the whistle’

The Arkansas Razorbacks upset the Missouri Tigers on Saturday by a score of 92-85. For Tigers head coach Dennis Gates, a major difference in the game was how many free throws they shot.

In the end, Arkansas shot 37 free throws while Missouri only shot 17. It’s a major gap that jumped out on the stat sheet, but after the game, Gates did what he could to make it clear that there isn’t anything he can do about that discrepancy.

“I don’t control the whistle,” Dennis Gates said.

Being able to shoot well has been a major contributor to Missouri’s success this season. Against Arkansas, they shot 33.3 percent from three-point range on 36 shots from deep. That was out of 68 shots taken in total on the game by Missouri, and it means that the Tigers were driving to the hoop less and therefore having fewer opportunities to draw calls.

“Being a team that shoots how we shoot — we’re only one or two teams in the country to make over 20 free throws a game,” Gates said. “And make over eight threes a game. I can not control the whistle at all. That’s not my job.”

From Dennis Gates’ perspective, the inability to draw foul calls did hurt. At the same time, they’re far from the only reason Missouri was upset over the weekend. Perhaps more important in the game were the 18 turnovers that helped swing the game in Arkansas’ favor, especially with the Razorbacks shooting 54.7 percent from the field. That, along with Arkansas’ ability to draw free throws throughout the game, ended up being the difference.

“But I do know Mark Mitchell is very, very good at drawing fouls, and there were a couple that Mark wasn’t able to draw,” Gates said. “And it’s just that simple. They did a great job. Arkansas did a great job. Self-infliction, 30 points off turnovers, and again, 37 free throws. That’s what we gave up.”

For Arkansas, the win was important for a team on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Missouri, meanwhile, is more squarely in the NCAA Tournament, but looking for the best seeding it possibly can get to go along with some positive momentum before the postseason.

Dennis Gates and the Tigers are looking to bounce back on Tuesday when they host the South Carolina Gamecocks. After that, they’ll embark on their final road trip of the regular season.