The Tigers took an early double-digit lead and never looked back against the Bulldogs
When Missouri men’s basketball faced Mississippi State in late January, the Tigers badly needed a win as they hung onto the tournament conversation by a thread. MU came away from the matchup with a five-point win that wasn’t as close as the final score, setting up the team’s February surge.
Mizzou reached a new high point in that month-long surge Saturday on the road with another win over the Bulldogs, 88-64, on the final day before the calendar turns to March.
And this time, the Tigers made sure the final score left no questions about who was the better team.
MU jumped out to a 9-0 lead with the help of two Mississippi State turnovers, establishing the tone for the remainder of the game. Mizzou took its first double-digit lead just over five minutes into the action and its first 20-point lead a little over halfway through the opening 20 minutes.
By the time the buzzer sounded to end the first half, the Tigers led 54-23 — the team’s largest-ever halftime lead in an SEC conference game.
MU built up its 31-point advantage through a suffocating defensive performance. Mizzou scored 21 points off turnovers in the opening half, nearly as many as MSU’s entire first half total.
On the offensive side, the Tigers’ big men led the way.
Trent Burns and Shawn Phillips Jr. both had arguably their best performances of the season, taking control down low and clearing the path for the team’s domination.
Phillips scored 16 points, his highest total of conference play, on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. Burns, meanwhile, set a new career high in scoring with eight points and displayed a silky-smooth hook shot in the first half.
MU finished the game with 38 points in the paint and a 38-26 advantage on the boards, adding 14 second-chance points on 14 offensive rebounds.
Mizzou’s big men unlocked the rest of the offense, helping the team put together a complete offensive performance. The Tigers had five players end the game scoring in double-digits, with T.O. Barrett, Mark Mitchell, Anthony Robinson II and Trent Pierce joining Phillips.
Jayden Stone also fell just short of recording a double-double, scoring eight points and grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds.
MU led by as much as 36 points in the second half before a late offensive lull allowed the Bulldogs to cut down on the final margin. Josh Hubbard led Mississippi State in scoring with 16 points, one of two MSU players in double digits alongside Quincy Ballard.
The victory lifts Mizzou to 20-9 on the season and 10-6 in the SEC, which should move the Tigers firmly off the bubble for the first time in months and likely clinches a tournament bid.
The Tigers will look to erase any remaining doubt about its postseason status Tuesday, when they travel to Norman for a second matchup with Oklahoma. That game tips off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
Category: General Sports
