ATHENS, Ga. — In a thrilling matchup on Saturday, Anthony Robinson II played a significant role in leading No. 21 Missouri to a victory over Georgia, scoring 15 points, including seven crucial points during a commanding 15-0 run in the second half. The final score was 87-74 in favor of Missouri.
Caleb Grill also contributed with 15 points, while Mark Mitchell added 14 to help propel Missouri (19-6, 8-4 in the Southeastern Conference) to a much stronger second half after entering halftime down 41-38.
Freshman Asa Newell was the standout for Georgia (16-10, 4-9), notching 23 points and securing 10 rebounds in an effort to turn the tide for the Bulldogs. Unfortunately for Georgia, this match marked their third consecutive loss in a row, damaging their hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament.
Newell’s performance was particularly impressive, especially after he struggled in his previous game against Texas A&M, where he only managed to score a season-low six points, hitting just one shot from the field.
The game revealed several key takeaways. For Missouri, the Tigers, buoyed by a convincing 82-58 win over Oklahoma in their prior matchup, dominated the second half, outscoring the Bulldogs 49-33. On the other side, Georgia’s recent streak of losses has all come against ranked opponents, including a narrow 76-75 home loss to No. 22 Mississippi State and the earlier defeat to Texas A&M. Facing Missouri represented Georgia’s twelfth contest against a Top 25 team this season, which is a national record and a first in the school’s history.
A defining moment in the game came when Tamar Bates made a critical steal, which led to a basket by Grill. This play kicked off the impressive 15-0 run that allowed the Tigers to pull away, establishing a lead that reached its peak at 73-54. Robinson played a key role in that run with two slam dunks and a 3-pointer.
One particularly telling stat from the game was Missouri’s dominance in transition, as they amassed a total of 19 fast-break points compared to Georgia’s zero.
Moving forward, Missouri is set to host No. 2 Alabama on Wednesday night, while Georgia will face another daunting challenge in a Top 25 matchup against No. 1 Auburn on Saturday. Auburn narrowly defeated Georgia 70-68 on January 18.
