No. 6 Mizzou Hoops Bows out in Opening-Round Upset against No. 11 Drake

The two clubs tipped off on Thursday evening from Wichita, Kansas, following an exciting first day of March Madness. Both teams were healthy and looking to add to what had already been an incredible season.

The overall pace of the game was exactly what the Tigers were hoping for, as they controlled the ball but struggled to convert easy buckets they had made all season. It was interesting to note that head coach Dennis Gates elected to go small, with Caleb Grill making the start over a big like Trent Pierce or Josh Gray.

The game started fairly back and forth, with Drake maintaining a constant edge over Mizzou, always seeming to be just one step ahead. As the game progressed, however, the Tigers began to stall, missing shots that fans had seen them make all season long.

Nobody was able to hit their normal shots, with Tony Perkins providing a slight highlight in the half. He shot an efficient 2-of-3 from the field and finished the half with five points.

Beyond that, it was a struggle to connect from anywhere. In the half, Mizzou converted just 7-of-21 shooting from the field (33%) and only 2-of-8 from three-point range.

Grill, normally their best deep shooter, wasn't responsible for either of the threes made, as he shot 0-of-4 from beyond the arc in the half.

By the time the clock hit zero at the end of the first half, the Tigers had accumulated only 23 points, compared to the Bulldogs' 30. Drake shot 52% from the field and 50% from deep, seizing the momentum heading into the second half.

Drake opened the second half even stronger than they finished the first. They were hitting circus shots, maintained the momentum, and played better than they had in any game all season.

Their lead peaked at 15 with just under 13 minutes to play. Mizzou went several minutes without converting a field goal and hadn't hit back-to-back field goals throughout the entire game.

However, once the Tigers saw a few shots fall, they were right back in it. Grill and Marques Warrick hit tough threes, they played fantastic defense, and cut the lead down to just two with five minutes to go, thanks to a 9-0 Mizzou run.

That run extended to 10-0 after Tamar Bates converted a free throw for his 8th point. The senior was efficient, finding ways to score on 3-of-5 shooting.

Freshman T.O. Barrett played key minutes in the game, facilitating the ball beautifully and showing the coaching staff why he deserves consistent rotational minutes next season.

From that point on, the contest was back and forth between two teams that definitely deserved to be under these lights. Grill found a way to get up to 12 points later in the half, shooting 3-of-9 from the field. However, he struggled from deep, going 1-of-7.

After the 10-0 run that cut the lead to one and got the Tigers back into the game, they went cold. Mizzou didn't hit a field goal for the full five minutes following the run, highlighting why inconsistencies have been such a large issue all year long.

Throughout the game, the Tigers needed a scorer who could find buckets from all around the court. They lacked a consistent offensive player to get their offense going early, instead relying on a late run to spark their efforts.

Unfortunately, they couldn't find that spark, as the Bulldogs' defense matched up well with Gates's team. Nobody was very efficient with their shooting, and as a team, they were well below their usual shooting percentages.

Mizzou's last big chance came when Bates hit two clutch free throws to shorten the lead to four, at 59-55. They followed this with a quick steal and found Warrick, who was open for a three, but he couldn't convert, keeping the lead where it was.

Drake did an incredible job closing out the game, combining solid defense with smart offense to seal the contest. They also found a way to connect multiple times from the free-throw line, helping to maintain their lead.

A late turnover by Anthony Robinson II really sealed the deal for Gates and the Tigers' hopes of a big postseason run, giving the Bulldogs the ball back with just over a minute to go and a six-point lead.

Drake took advantage of this with a true dagger: a crowd-erupting alley-oop, extending their lead to eight with minimal time remaining.

There was no miracle today, and the season ended with a first-round upset, losing 67-57. It was a shocking way to finish what had been a truly enjoyable season to watch.

Despite the disappointing end to the year, with several regular-season losses and the outcome in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, there's still a lot to be excited about for next year.

Gates has built an incredible program, with new recruits sure to keep Mizzou on the radar more than ever before. It will be sad to see the seniors go, but the youth of this team is evident, and many more seasons like this are sure to come.

For now, it’s a disappointing loss, but there is no doubt Gates has a plan, and this team will be back and better than ever in 2026.