The 45th edition of the Braggin' Rights game was defined as a must-watch and a must-win for the Missouri Tigers. After its 91-48 defeat to Illinois, Tigers fans must have wanted to look away, because this was the lowest point of the season thus far for Gate's squad.
The Liberty Pose contest that occurred when the game was tied, with 11:14 in the first half, was a victory for the Tigers. That could have been the only statistical or moral victory to take from this one on the Missouri side.
By the halftime buzzer, the Tigers were down 41-25, and it was pick-a-card, any card for all of the reasons they trailed. Mizzou had been outscored 18-2 in second-chance points, allowed 18 points to Keaton Wagler on 60% shooting, and the Illini clipped at 7-of-15 from 3-point range.
“We had stretches where we defended well, but you can’t defend for eight seconds and then give up rebounds or lose discipline,” Gates said. “That’s not winning basketball, and that’s on us as a group.”
Illinois was better in every way against Mizzou
Ilinois on paper, was the bigger team over the Tigers and showed exactly why from the get-go. The Ivisic brothers were more than ready at the summit; every time Missouri attempted to climb up it, they were swatted back down repeatedly.
Zvonimi Ivisic had three blocks of his own and collected ten rebounds at the rim in the opening half, essentially big brothering the Tigers for the first half. The 7-foot-5 Trent Burns played zero minutes, and the absence of the 6-foot-11 Jevon Porter, Shawn Phillips Jr. picking up a pair of fouls, simply compounded the reality for the Tigers.
Their size and lack of execution on the glass didn't allow them to compete in this rivalry matchup.
Missouri struggled to generate consistent offense as the second half progressed, shooting just 6-for-22 from the field and 3-for-14 from two-point range. Illinois capitalized on the Tigers’ droughts with back-to-back three-pointers midway through the half, extending its lead to double digits.
“This wasn’t about effort for a few possessions — it was about sustaining execution for forty minutes,” Gates said. “We didn’t do that. When you don’t rebound, when you don’t convert stops into points, and when you allow teams to get comfortable from the perimeter, the game can get away from you quickly. That’s what happened tonight.”
Although Mark Mitchell provided a brief spark with consecutive baskets in the paint, the Illini closed the half on a strong run, pushing the advantage to 41–25 at the break.
Any hopes of a Missouri comeback faded early in the second half. Illinois opened the period with an 8–0 run, fueled by consecutive three-pointers, to stretch the lead to 52–28 and force an early timeout from head coach Dennis Gates. The Illini continued to control the tempo on both ends, limiting Missouri to one shot per possession while converting turnovers into points.
Missouri endured a prolonged scoring drought midway through the half, going nearly five minutes without a field goal as Illinois extended its lead past 25 points.
Sebastian Mack provided intermittent offense from beyond the arc with 15 points, but Illinois consistently responded, preventing the Tigers from building any momentum. Injuries compounded Missouri’s struggles, as Robinson briefly exited after hobbling to the locker room and Mitchell later left the game with a back issue.
The loss snaps Missouri’s two-game winning streak and drops the Tigers to 10–3 overall to conclude nonconference play. Illinois improved to 8–3 and earned a decisive victory in the storied rivalry, leaving Missouri searching for answers as it prepares to turn the page to conference competition.