Mizzou Hoops pick up signature win and surprise no. 5 in Florida in Gainesville

Ahead of the Mizzou men’s basketball clash with No. 5 Florida, the SEC saw its only upset of the day take place in Tuscaloosa. No. 21 Ole Miss defeated No. 4 Alabama 74-64 for its first-ever road win against an AP-ranked top-five opponent; the Rebels were 0-34 in such contests before Thursday.

A few hours later, on the same channel that broadcast the Rebels taking down the Crimson Tide, the Tigers also knocked off Goliath while making program history themselves. Mizzou defeated No. 5 Florida 83-82 for its first road win over an AP-ranked top-five opponent since Jan. 21, 2012 against no. 3 Baylor.

The Tigers dominated the first half. Their shining star was Caleb Grill, who prepared the Gators like a Southern barbeque. He shot 4-of-5 from three-point range in the first half, including three markers within 45 seconds of game action near the midway point of the first half. Not only that, every shot he took was extremely contested. Even as Florida began to hedge screens and send extra help off the ball in hopes of containing Grill, he kept breaking free. He would finish 6/10 from beyond the arc.

However, Grill was not the only one to dominate. Mizzou also succeeded on the glass, which was extremely surprising from a statistical standpoint. Florida entered Thursday as the best rebounding team in college basketball; its 12.7 average rebound margin, 59.7% rebound percentage and 46.1 rebounds per match was the top in the nation. But the Gators struggled to keep the Tigers on the boards as the road underdogs won the rebounding game 17-15. The only Gator to perform well was Walter Clayton Jr., who scored 18 of UF’s 34 points over the first 20 minutes.

By the time the break sounded, history had been made as Mizzou led 50-34. The Tigers had not hit a first half century against an SEC opponent since January 11, 2020 against Florida; they also hadn’t scored that many first-half goals on the road since Jan. 21, 2009 against Oklahoma State.

However, the Gators battled back in the second half. Florida’s defense tightened up, Mizzou went cold on the shooting front, and the Gators found success on the fastbreak. With just under eight minutes left in regulation, Florida had cut the lead to two as the Exatech Arena was arguably the highest it had been all game.

Along with the shrill screams of excited students, the gymnasium was also filled with the sweet sound of blown whistles as the physicality was at a fever pitch. A total of 47 fouls were called, including one that appeared to turn the tide of the game with just under nine minutes left in regulation. When Tony Perkins was guarded by Alijah Martin, Perkins attempted a rip-through move in a likely attempt to create space. But Perkins’ elbow hit Martin in his, uh, groin area, and Martin crumbled to the ground. No fouls were called on the floor; However, upon further review, Perkins’ cup check was ruled a Flagrant 2, ejecting Perkins from the game. The Gators went on an 8-0 run.

But Mizzou didn’t fold; instead it held strong. Despite multiple whistles and struggles from the free throw line, the Gators could never pull ahead. Mark Mitchell, shooting just over 60% from the free throw line entering Thursday, made two massive free throws to put Mizzou up by four with 12.4 seconds left; after a layup by Alex Condon, Grill hit two more free throws to secure the win, avenging two earlier misses.

Grill finished with 22 points. Mitchell (15), Anthony Robinson II (12) and Tamar Bates (10) also each finished in double figures in points. The Tigers also committed just eight turnovers and lost the rebounding game by just one. That included 15 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points. Clayton Jr. finished with 28 points; however, it was not enough for his Gators to avoid an upset defeat.

The magnitude of this triumph cannot be overstated. Mizzou now has a signature win to its name, one that will likely pay massive dividends on Selection Sunday. The Tigers return home for their next game against Arkansas on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 5:00 PM CST.