COLUMBIA, Mo. — Tamar Bates delivered an exceptional performance, scoring 26 points, while Caleb Grill contributed 22 points in leading No. 22 Missouri to a victory over No. 16 Mississippi, ending the Rebels’ three-game losing streak with an 83-75 triumph on Saturday night.
Anthony Robinson II further bolstered the Tigers’ effort with seven points and as many rebounds. Missouri’s record now stands at 16-4 overall and 5-2 in the Southeastern Conference, maintaining an impressive home record of 15-0 and a solid 3-1 performance against ranked opponents this season.
For Mississippi, Malik Dia led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Sean Pedulla added 15 points and six assists. Jaemyn Brakefield also contributed 14 points, but the Rebels fell to 15-5 overall and 4-3 in league play.
The game began with Mississippi racing out to an 8-0 lead within the first two minutes. However, Missouri responded with a 12-0 run over the next two and a half minutes, with Bates accounting for ten of those points, allowing the Tigers to seize control.
Once in the lead, Missouri never looked back and held the advantage for the remaining 32 minutes and 56 seconds of the matchup.
There were notable takeaways from this game. For Mississippi, the Rebels struggled with ball control, committing nine turnovers in the first half and finishing with a total of 13. This was a significant increase compared to their average of just 9.4 turnovers per game. Against ranked teams, Ole Miss falls to 1-4 this season.
On the other hand, Missouri showed their dominance at home, stretching their winning streak to 15 games, the fifth-longest in Division I basketball and the longest within the SEC.
A crucial moment in the contest occurred after Robinson connected on a 3-pointer to give Missouri a 21-18 edge with about 9:43 left in the first half. Grill followed suit with two 3-pointers, one of which initiated a four-point play, fueling a 10-1 run that put the Tigers ahead 28-19 with 6:25 left in the half.
A notable statistic from the game indicates that Missouri successfully made 11 of their 25 attempts from beyond the arc, and they are a perfect 12-0 when hitting at least eight 3-pointers in a game this season.
Looking ahead, Mississippi will host Texas on Wednesday night, while Missouri will seek to extend their success at Mississippi State on February 1.
