Misssouri puled off the upset against No. 19 Vanderbilt on Wednesday night, but the Tigers almost threw it all away at the end.
After giving up a 21-point lead, Mizzou led by just one with seconds remaining. All they had to do was inbound the ball and hold on for dear life for a mere 1.6 seconds. Instead, Mark Mitchell launched a pass straight into the waiting arms of the Commodores. The half-court Hail Mary that ensured rattled off the rim, giving Missouri the heart-stopping victory, but a new angle reveals that the shot was actually must closer the ruining the Tigers season than initially thought.
After a second look, the shot was actually halfway down, before popping out, ending the Commodores last second hopes at a comeback. Check it out.
This was how close the last shot was to falling for Vanderbilt against #Mizzou🫣 pic.twitter.com/NrHRgL97sQ
— Hudson Summerall (@HudsonSummerall) February 19, 2026
Tigers barely escape Vanderbilt after their buzzer-beater flirts with going in
Had the shot gone in, Missouri's NCAA Tournament hopes would have taken a severe hit. After leading by as many as 21 points in the second half, the Tigers somehow found a way to almost lose. Instead, they now add another Quad 1 victory to the resume, and make their case for a bubble team even more compelling.
Heading into the matchup, Mizzou faced an uphill battle to make the field. With No. 20 Arkansas looming next, there was a very real chance that Missouri started their last crucial six games at 0-2, making a berth mostly dead. Now, though, Missouri is in the driver's seat, and have climbed back up to 59 in the NET rankings.
Seeing that image of the ball halfway down the hoop is a nice reminder at how thin the ice that Missouri is treading on is. Still, a win is a win and the Tigers will take them anyway they can.