Jayden Stone and Mark Mitchell lead the Tigers to a 2-0 start in conference play
In a heated battle at storied Rupp Arena in Lexington, the Missouri Tigers were victorious against the Kentucky Wildcats, 73-68 in a momentous night.
For the first time in school history, the Tigers have won a game at Kentucky, and it was a battle to reach the accomplishment.
The first half started quite slow as both teams didn’t reach double digits until around eight minutes into the game. Defensively, things looked solid for the Tigers as they were able to shutdown star Otega Oweh for most of the half and hold Kentucky to nearly a five minute scoring drought. Additionally, the Wildcats struggled greatly from field goal range.
On the flip side, Mizzou also could not find an offensive rhythm until nearly fifteen minutes into the game. Shot selection varied as the team shot 50 percent from the field but struggled in other areas. The Tigers shot 30 percent from three over ten chances and 60 percent from the charity stripe.
It seemed Mizzou was looking for a surge to end the first half with points from leaders Mark Mitchell and Anthony Robinson II.
However, Rupp Arena came alive and wind left the Tigers’ sails as Oweh drained a longer than half court shot as the buzzer rang.
Kentucky continued its momentum to open a 7-o run in the second half. Meanwhile, Mizzou wasn’t helping themselves, committing turnovers and fouls and ultimately losing the lead it had built early on. Head Coach Dennis Gates charged another timeout as the team looked aloof on the floor.
The Tigers only connected for four points to open the first quarter of the second half before finding a groove to push themselves back into the competition.
Each time it seemed Mizzou took a step forward, they then took two steps back. Around the 13 minute mark, Mitchell slammed home a dunk to regain the lead before another dry spell. Then, a Mizzou 7-0 run was followed up by another 6-0 Kentucky run.
Back-and-forth and back-and-forth.
After a corner three from Oweh that pushed him to 20 points on the night, Gates killed his final timeout in a last-ditch effort to help the Tigers survive.
Mizzou showed its claws and did not let the hope dissipate, however. Mitchell wouldn’t let the Tigers go away that easily. He found Jayden Stone right out of the TO, who drained a three en route to a 7-0 run. A bit later, it was a one-point game with only a minute remaining.
Again, Gates and crew looked to Mitchell to steal the win. Oweh turned the ball over and on the other end of the floor, Mitchell converted with a fadeaway in the paint to give Mizzou the lead back.
With no shot clock left and the ball in their hands after a Wildcat turnover, Trent Pierce lobbed the inbound down to Stone. What seemed like a go-ahead basket ended up in the hands of Oweh, but he was unsuccessful as well. Tensions rose in the final seconds and Mizzou found themselves at the free throw line to seal the game away.
Ultimately, Stone knocked down two free throws and Mizzou was victorious. The return of the guard has served necessary in both SEC bouts this season. He ended the night with twenty points, seven rebounds and an assist.
Only Mitchell scored more with 21 points.
For the first time since joining the SEC, Mizzou opens conference play 2-0. Meanwhile, it’s the first time since 2013 that Kentucky has lost its conference home opener.
Category: General Sports
