Nashville, Tenn. – No. 21/22 University of Missouri men’s basketball used strong defense down the stretch to post an 85-73 win over Mississippi State on Thursday, advancing to the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals.
With the win, the Tigers improve to 22-10, while the Bulldogs slip to 21-12.
MIZZOU LEADERS
Senior Tamar Bates led Mizzou with 25 points on the night, connecting on 8-of-12 field goals and 3-of-5 from 3-point range in addition to six free throws. Graduate student Tony Perkins chipped in a season-best 20 points in the winning effort, making six of his 10 attempts to go with a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
Perkins and Anthony Robinson II both led Mizzou with four assists, while Josh Gray anchored the defense with a season-best 12 rebounds.
GAME RECAP
Mizzou took the early advantage in the contest thanks to a 10-0 run. Trailing by three, Perkins and Bates accounted for eight points during the spurt as the Tigers moved in front, 17-10.
A pair of and-ones – a four-point play from Trent Pierce and a traditional three-point play by Mark Mitchell –stretched the lead to eight, 28-20, only for the Bulldogs to answer with an 8-0 spurt of their own. Mississippi State was able to take advantage of MU miscues – four on six possessions – to square the game at 28.
The Tigers would head into the locker room with a little momentum, however, thanks to scoring the final five points, including a buzzer-beating triple from Caleb Grill, for a 39-34 halftime lead.
The second half was tight throughout. The Bulldogs fought in front by two just over five minutes into the period before a seven-point run by the Tigers gave Mizzou a five-point lead, 52-47. Mississippi State answered with an 8-0 of its own to move back in front by three, setting up a one-possession game for the next eight minutes.
Mizzou made its move late with the defense anchoring the stretch. Trailing by a point, 68-67, with 4:52 remaining, the Tigers did not allow the Bulldogs to make a field goal for over four minutes, forcing MSU into seven-straight misses from the field. A backdoor slam from Grill gave MU the lead for good as the Tigers went on a 12-2 run to seal the victory and advance in the tournament.
TEAM STATS
The Tigers made 49.1 percent of their field goals en route to the victory with an 8-of-24 mark from 3-point range and 23-of-28 from the charity stripe (82.1 percent). Mizzou also held the Bulldogs to just 36.4 percent shooting and 6-of-30 (20.0%) from beyond the arc.
Mizzou also won fastbreak points, 19-6, on the night, while holding a 43-35 advantage on the glass.
UP NEXT
The Tigers advance to their fifth SEC Quarterfinal in school history, playing second-seeded Florida on Friday night. Mizzou – who defeated Florida, 83-82, during the regular season – is set to battle the Gators in a 6 p.m. tipoff on SEC Network.
