It was a tale of two halves in each individual half, between Missouri and Arkansas.
This game was ultimately one where the Tigers didn't come out on top; it was a battle, and, of course, it wasn't easy for them in a season where most SEC games haven't been.
On paper, this game had it all. Rivalry matchup, senior day in Columbia, and the battle for the fourth seed of the SEC tournament on the line. Oh, and the former, now infamous Tiger for Missouri fans, Trevon Brazile, was back in town for the Tigers opposition, the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Missouri failed to overcome slow start in heartbreaking OT loss
For the opening 12:25, it was the Razorbacks' game to lose.
A 28-13 lead, a team-leading nine points, and a block for Brazile, capped off by a 12-2 run, a quiet and frustrated Mizzou Arena sat and observed a start out of the gates, similar to that of Secretariat. Missouri couldn’t buy a bucket during a 3:26 scoring drought, and the Razorbacks kept piling on second‑chance points.
Then came the response from Dennis Gates and company.
The Tigers steadied themselves late in the half. A 12–2 run, sparked by Anthony Robinson II, Mark Mitchell, and Trent Pierce, dragged the crowd back into it.
Pierce’s late layup and a Mitchell finish in the final minute cut the deficit to 39–36 at halftime, a far better place than where Missouri had been ten minutes earlier.
Arkansas opened the second half with a quick five points, but . Pierce drilled a three-pointer to cut the Razorbacks lead to one. From there, the game turned into a long exchange of punches. Thomas and Missouri’s Jayden Stone traded threes. Stone added a steal and slam that nearly blew the roof off Mizzou Arena.
Mitchell kept attacking single coverage, reaching 1,000 career points and eventually climbing into the mid‑20s as he carried the offense through traffic. Missouri had chances to create separation, but Arkansas kept answering.
Thomas hit back‑to‑back threes to erase a five‑point deficit. Phillips tied the game at 69 with just over two minutes left. Mitchell delivered what looked like the signature Senior Day moment — an and‑1 finish with 50 seconds remaining that put Missouri up 74–73 — but the Tigers couldn’t close it out.
A missed free throw by Arkansas gave Missouri life, yet the Tigers’ final look at the rim in regulation rolled off, and the put‑back attempt never left the floor cleanly.
"We weren't able to make that last layup in regulation that I thought was going in and then even the putback," Gates said.
Overtime brought more swings. Pierce buried a three to give Missouri a brief lead. Arkansas’ Lawson Ewin, who had made only one three all season, hit another that felt like a gut punch.Â
Phillips tied the game at 81 on a lob pass from T.O Barrett, then split two free throws to put Missouri up 82–81 with under a minute left.
That set the stage for Brazile, who rose up and buried a deep three against his former team with 21.8 seconds left — the ultimate game-winning shot that ultimately gave Arkansas the hard-fought 88-84 victory.