Last night, Mizzou basketball faced one of the toughest challenges on its schedule, taking on the No. 5 Florida Gators in what turned out to be a thrilling matchup in Gainesville.
Mizzou came out firing, erupting for 50 points in the first half behind Caleb Grill’s 12-point outburst, which included four three-pointers. Tamar Bates added 10 points in the half, helping the Tigers build a 16-point halftime lead—the largest deficit the Gators have faced all season.
Unfortunately for Missouri, this game turned into a thriller. The pressing question, “What went wrong for Mizzou in the second half?” can be answered with one word: everything. Within the first 12 minutes of the second half, Florida had slashed Mizzou’s comfortable lead to just three points, erasing what had seemed like a secure advantage.
Caleb Grill, one of the Tigers' first-half leaders, cooled off in the second half but still delivered key shots when the team needed them most. Tamar Bates, however, struggled offensively, going 0-for-5 from the field after halftime. Despite his shooting woes, Bates made up for it on the defensive end with three steals, serving as a focal point for Mizzou’s strong defensive effort.
In a half marked by offensive struggles, Mizzou faced another setback just after the nine-minute mark when guard Tony Perkins was ejected following a Flagrant 2 foul. The questionable call left head coach Dennis Gates visibly baffled. Perkins’ ejection forced the Tigers to play the final nine minutes without him, putting added pressure on T.O. Barrett to step into the point guard role as Anthony Robinson II dealt with foul trouble. Despite the challenging circumstances, Barrett looked surprisingly comfortable, making the most of his six minutes on the court in the closing stretch.
Despite poor team shooting percentages of 33% from the field, 27% from beyond the arc, and 50% from the free-throw line in the second half, Mizzou showed remarkable resilience in securing the victory despite their late-game struggles. This level of perseverance is a notable improvement over last year’s Tigers, who might not have been able to pull out a win under similar circumstances.
Securing wins like this has to be a huge relief for head coach Dennis Gates, as his team is thriving with a strong 14-3 record. Impressively, Mizzou is one of only two teams in the nation with multiple victories over top-five opponents this season. The only other team with that distinction is Auburn, currently ranked No. 1 in the country.
Despite their second-half struggles, the Tigers managed to overcome one of the toughest challenges on their schedule. Going into Gainesville and securing a win is no small feat and is something no one will complain about.