COLUMBIA, Mo. — Mark Mitchell delivered an impressive performance, setting a personal record with 31 points, while Caleb Grill also shined, contributing 25 points and matching his career high with 10 rebounds. The No. 15 ranked Missouri team dealt No. 4 Alabama its second consecutive defeat, emerging victorious with a score of 110-98 on Wednesday night.
Missouri’s head coach, Dennis Gates, intervened during a potential court storming, using the public address system to ask the enthusiastic crowd to remain in their seats. “Please, do not rush the court! Please, do not rush the court!” Gates appealed to the fans, emphasizing the need for order.
In addition to Mitchell and Grill’s standout performances, Anthony Robinson II played a solid supporting role with 14 points, and Tamar Bates added another 13 points. Missouri improved its record to 20-6 overall and 9-4 in the Southeastern Conference, marking their third consecutive win and showcasing a strong performance against ranked opponents with a 5-3 record.
For Alabama, Mark Sears led the scoring with a season-high 35 points, attempting to recover from a recent home loss to top-ranked Auburn. Mouhamed Dioubate contributed with 13 points and 10 rebounds before he fouled out during the game.
Missouri kicked off the game with a commanding 12-0 run, prompting Alabama’s coach Nate Oats to call a timeout just minutes into the match. The Tigers continued to assert themselves, leading 59-46 at halftime. Oats was given a technical foul for tossing his clipboard to the ground in frustration when Sears was called for a flagrant foul for an incident involving Grill.
Takeaways from the game show that Alabama’s first-half turnovers harmed their chances, as they committed 10 turnovers, allowing Missouri to capitalize and score 15 points off those errors. It’s worth noting that Alabama had previously maintained a perfect 15-0 record when scoring over 85 points this season.
On the other hand, Missouri showcased their ability to keep pace with Alabama’s high-octane offense, shooting an impressive 60% from the field, even while permitting Alabama to shoot at 54%.
A pivotal moment occurred in the latter stages of the game when Sears connected on a three-pointer, narrowing Alabama’s deficit to six points at 79-73. Missouri quickly answered, launching a decisive 9-0 run over the next 1:50 that set them up for the win.
In terms of significant statistics, this game marked the first time since defeating Colorado 107-62 on January 14, 2009, that Missouri scored over 100 points against a conference opponent.
Looking ahead, both teams are scheduled to play on Saturday; Alabama will host No. 2 Florida, while Missouri will travel to face Arkansas.
