As hot as the Tigers started the season and as strong as they continued into SEC play, they've slowed as of late, losing two of their last four to teams they absolutely should have beaten. Both of those losses came on the road, against unranked opponents they had dominated at home earlier in the year.
Though Oklahoma fits that category exactly, head coach Dennis Gates entered the evening matchup with a different game plan, hoping to avoid a similar result. If all went right, his team would leave Norman with their first win there since the 2012-13 campaign.
Even with the knowledge of their past two losses in mind, the early moments of the contest were still extremely troublesome for the Tigers. The Sooners broke open an early 12-6 lead, thanks to a consistent effort on both offense and defense, prompting a timeout from Gates.
However, the away squad came out of the timeout strong, hitting their first three attempts from the floor and quickly taking the lead at 18-16. Mark Mitchell, who has strung together several strong performances, led the way with an early 8 points.
A back-and-forth offensive battle by both teams saw the game tied at 20 midway through the first half. Oklahoma forward Sam Godwin started the game a perfect 5-for-5, contributing 12 points, and was a key reason the Sooners remained in control for much of the first half.
Even though the Tigers were initially staying afloat with the home team, they quickly fell off later in the first half. They trailed by 7 after a 9-0 Sooner run that featured three turnovers and a scoring drought of nearly five minutes. Everything they hoped to avoid in this pivotal matchup went wrong, and once again, they were going to have to find a way to respond.
The home squad also went on a run of 9 straight field goals, which heavily contributed to the commanding lead they held for much of the half. That lead peaked at 15 late in the half.
They were also smart with the fouls they drew, putting themselves in the bonus with still six minutes to go. Guard Anthony Robinson II committed three personal fouls in the half, essentially taking him out of the game. He finished with just 2 points, a disappointing performance from your starting point guard.
Not only did Oklahoma shoot tremendously well in the first half, but Mizzou also struggled to connect on shots that fans have seen them hit all season. They made just 4 of 14 from deep, shooting 29% from beyond the arc, and finished with 46% shooting from the field overall.
Not bad, but compared to the Sooners' 69% from the floor, much work needed to be done at the break. The Tigers clearly struggled to defend Oklahoma, and since they only attempted 7 threes, hitting 4 of them, their defense lacked more than just around the perimeter.
Mizzou finally began to wake up as the half closed, with Caleb Grill hitting a couple of triples and Marques Warrick contributing both in scoring and facilitating. Mitchell had the most notable half, scoring 8 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting.
The Tigers ended the final three minutes without a field goal and found themselves down 50-37. A response was more than necessary if they hoped to come out victorious in this one.
After scoring just 58 points in the entire first matchup between these SEC rivals, they accumulated 50 in the first half alone.
The early second half looked much like the first, as the Sooners forced a couple of turnovers, leading to a string of baskets that extended their lead to 55-39 and silenced the away team.
Jacob Crews knocked down a three, cutting the lead to 14 and bringing some life into the team with 16 minutes to play. They followed this with a solid defensive stand and another Crews bucket, this time a fadeaway, prompting an Oklahoma timeout at a crucial moment in the game.
This slight Mizzou run came on the heels of a Sooner scoring drought of over three minutes, during which they missed four straight attempts. The defense looked much improved from the first half, forcing multiple Oklahoma turnovers, including one from Mitchell on a highlight-reel block at the rim.
The offense was fairly spread out, with a number of different Tigers getting involved throughout the second half. Forward Trent Pierce knocked down a triple, while Tony Perkins and Warrick also made significant contributions.
Mitchell also began to go to work later in the second half, though nearly all of his offensive efforts were muffled by the strong Sooner offense. Oklahoma's amazing night from deep continued, extending their lead to a 17-point margin at 69-52 with less than 10 minutes to play.
Another small Mizzou run cut the lead down to 12 a few minutes later, partly thanks to an athletic triple from Grill, one of the players who has been consistently great all season long. This has easily become a career year for him in his fifth season.
Tamar Bates splashed another three to cap off an 8-0 Tiger run, cutting the lead to single digits for the first time since early in the first half.
Tigers making their move and back within single digits in this one@tbates_11 // #MIZ 🐯 pic.twitter.com/H9AJU1xKZ7
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) March 6, 2025
Though it was encouraging to see the Tigers stay in the game for as long as they could, they ultimately couldn't ever gain control. They struggled on both sides of the ball from the start, leading to their third straight road loss and ninth overall.
Despite making it close several times, especially late in the second half, things just couldn't come fully together. Mizzou will travel home after suffering another loss, 96-84. Shooting dipped below 50% from the field in the second half, while the Sooners neared 60% and turned the ball over just 9 times—a recipe for disaster.
Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser did a fantastic job utilizing timeouts and keeping his team composed, which allowed them to comfortably hold onto their lead for nearly the entire contest. His implementation of their offense worked to perfection, and he deserves much of the credit for that.
What can the Tigers do from here to prepare for March?
A huge response is needed. They need to travel home and prepare for their biggest game in over a week, which comes in the form of the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday morning—the final regular season game of the season.
There's still plenty of season left, as long as MU can find a way to respond now and be ready for the tournaments ahead.