COLUMBIA, Mo. — Following its first win against a program ranked No. 11 or higher since 2013, Mizzou Men’s Basketball defeated Ole Miss, 71-68, on Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena, picking up its third win in the last four games.
Xavier Pinson and Dru Smith continued their electric play of late, combining for 48 points. Pinson led all scorers with a career-high 32 points, including going 4-for-4 from deep. The 32 points were the most by a Tiger since Jabari Brown poured in 33 points on Feb. 1, 2014 vs. Kentucky.
With Pinson carrying the load offensively, Mizzou (13-13, 5-8 SEC) secured its victory with solid defense all night, holding the visitors to just 23.1 percent shooting from deep. The Tigers’ defense held Ole Miss (13-13, 4-9 SEC) to a 2-of-7 clip from the field in the final five minutes of the game. The Tigers forced 15 turnovers and blocked six shots.
Turning Point:
With 6:31 remaining in the second half, Javon Pickett hit a 3-pointer from the corner to bring the Tigers back from a two-point deficit. Mizzou never trailed again, getting key defensive stops as Dru Smith and Pinson hit six straight free throws in the final minute to clinch the game.
Top Tigers:
- Xavier Pinson continued his hot streak for the Tigers, pouring in a new career-high 32 points. He has scored 25+ points in consecutive games for the first time in his career. Pinson is averaging 23.3 points over his last four games.
- Dru Smith finished with 17 points, his 16th time reaching double figures this season.
- Parker Braun scored a career-high six points, adding seven rebounds and a career-high four blocks.
Notes
- Xavier Pinson is the first Mizzou player to score 30+ points since Jordan Geist against Georgia on March 13, 2019. With his performance Tuesday, Pinson has now scored 20+ four times in his career.
- Pinson shot 69-percent from the field on the night – the highest-shooting percentage for a Mizzou player in a 30-point game since 2009.
- Pinson set a new career-high for 3-pointers after shooting 4-for-4 from beyond the arc.
- Mizzou is 7-2 in Pinson’s career when he scores at least 14 points, and 6-0 this season.
- Tuesday was Mizzou’s first win over Ole Miss since a 75-69 victory on Feb. 6, 2018.
- Mizzou is 7-2 when at least one player hits the 20-point mark. The Tigers have had a player score 20+ 10 times this season, with Pinson and Dru Smith accounting for seven of those 10.
- Parker Braun set a new career-high in blocks and rebounds, recording seven boards and four swats.
- After Tuesday’s win, the Tigers have forced 381 turnovers this season (14.7 per game).
- The Tigers outrebounded the Rebels 36-34. Mizzou has a 9-4 record when outrebounding its opponent this season.
Up Next
Mizzou returns to action this Saturday at Arkansas, Feb. 22. Tip-off is scheduled for noon on SEC Network.
For all the latest on Mizzou’s Men’s Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @MizzouHoops.
