Coming off a loss in Texas to the Longhorns, the No. 22 Missouri Tigers knew they needed to limit mistakes and defend effectively to protect their home court against the No. 16-ranked Rebels.
To call the start sloppy would be an understatement. Ole Miss guard Jaylen Murray wasted no time getting the scoring going, quickly draining a deep three. The Tigers committed a pair of turnovers and fell behind 8-0 before senior guard Tamar Bates took control of the arena.
He drained multiple threes, drew contact at the rim and hit free throws, and found his teammates for a bucket of their own. Suddenly, Mizzou was on the heels of a run of its own — a 12-0 stretch that settled the score at 12-8, with Bates notching 10 of the total points.
Another one!@tbates_11 up to 10 points already in this one!#MIZ 🐯 pic.twitter.com/IGlYiYU2G8
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) January 25, 2025
The early 12-point response by Bates and the rest of the Tigers mirrors how the team has responded to each loss this season, with wins over strong programs and win streaks showing how much the team has improved from past seasons.
It took more than two minutes to get back on the scoreboard after the big run early, but a Tony Perkins layup — completed through heavy contact by multiple defenders — tied the score at 14.
As usual, deep-threat Caleb Grill and big-man defender Josh Gray were the first two to check in off the bench, and both made immediate impacts to shift the momentum.
Gray made an athletic play to snag an offensive rebound off a Bates missed three and dunk it back. Grill didn’t waste any time either, scoring his first points on a rare deep two to break the 16-16 tie midway through the first half. He would add a quick three a few possessions later.
The defense was solid throughout the first half. With around six minutes to go, Mizzou forced a stretch of more than five minutes without a bucket, including five straight missed attempts by the Rebels.
Offensively, shooting wasn’t an issue — it was the turnovers. The Tigers had eight in the half, with three coming in less than a minute and a half, at a point when Ole Miss had significantly cut into their deficit.
Scoring overall was impressive, particularly near the end of the first half, when the Tigers found ways to score from all over and extended their lead to near double digits at 38-29 for the first time all game.
Mizzou led 38-31 at the half. Bates and Grill were the clear leaders of the offense, each notching 12 points in the first half. Anthony Robinson II had a strong half as well, shooting perfect and posting 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals.
The Rebels shot 48% from the field in the half, compared to the Tigers' 43%, though the home team outshot them from deep, 40% to 33%. Mizzou also heavily outrebounded Ole Miss, leading to numerous second-chance point opportunities.
The second half started slowly, as the teams traded fouls and free throws. It wasn’t until three minutes in that the Tigers converted their first field goal, courtesy of a Tamar Bates layup.
He added two more free throws on the following possession to extend the lead to nine, giving him 16 points for the game.
The offense struggled to find the bottom of the rim early in the second half, turning the ball over frequently and leaving the door open for the Rebels to make their way back into the contest. Even with multiple offensive rebounds on some possessions, Mizzou just couldn’t find a way to score throughout the half.
Another Grill corner three ended the scoring drought that had cut the lead to just five, but scoring remained difficult for both teams. Jacob Crews came alive late, hitting a three to push the lead back to 8, and adding an inside jumper on the next possession.
Free throws kept Ole Miss within reach, especially late in the game, as the Tigers struggled to hit their shots from the charity stripe. They closed the game shooting 14 of 23 from the line, or 61%.
Bates and Grill were the leaders in scoring. Especially late, they hit multiple threes and facilitated beautifully to keep the scoring effort going throughout the second half. Bates finished with 21 points on a three that extended the lead to double digits for the first time all game. Mizzou would later lead by as much as 12.
Despite poor free throw shooting and constant fouls, the Tigers found a way to defeat a top-ranked conference rival. Good teams find a way to win, and that was evident in this intense battle between two great programs.
In the end, Mizzou defeated the Rebels 83-75. Bates was outstanding on offense, scoring 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting and adding 5 rebounds. Meanwhile, Caleb Grill did his part, putting up 22 points, including 5 three-pointers, along with 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
Top 25 showdown goes to the Tigers 😤💪#MIZ 🐯 pic.twitter.com/bIuh6gUJdN
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) January 26, 2025
This is a huge win for head coach Dennis Gates and his program, as they improve to 16-4 and 5-2 in conference play.
The level of play needs to stay consistent as they now travel for their next two games, both against ranked SEC programs. Mizzou has yet to win a road game this season, but they’ll need to put that aside as they face No. 14 Mississippi State next Saturday afternoon.