No. 20 Missouri Tigers hammer host Mississippi St. in record-setting basketball victory
Missouri Tigers men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates has a luxury lurking on his bench: sharpshooter Caleb Grill.
Grill, a 6-foot-3 guard from Wichita, drained six 3-pointers en route to a team-high 20 points Saturday as the No. 20-ranked Tigers throttled 14th-ranked Mississippi State 88-61 at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss.
“That was one of the most fun games I’ve played in my college career,” Grill remarked.
“I thought our guys went in, got free, executed the game plan top-to-bottom,” Gates added. “I thought our guys just closed the game, man. From the last 30 minutes of the game, our guys did an unbelievable job in staying connected.”
Saturday’s 27-point triumph by Missouri is the most lopsided road victory over a ranked opponent in program history. And it comes on the heels of a home win against then-23rd-ranked Ole Miss a week ago.
Grill was 6-of-11 from 3-point range on Saturday. His buckets from beyond the arc against the Bulldogs included a 41-footer to put the Tigers (17-4, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) up 12 at the end of the first half.
“I give credit to the other guards and the bigs out there, just all the teammates,” Grill said of his range. “I couldn’t get open if they didn’t make hard cuts.”
Grill is now shooting 48.3% from 3-point range this season, second best across all of college basketball. Missouri made 15 3-pointers as a team against Mississippi State (16-6, 4-5 SEC).
“I want these guys to play with confidence, and that’s what he was doing,” Gates said. “And his team rewarded him with open shots.”
The Bulldogs are the fourth ranked foe to fall to the Tigers this season. MU knocked off then-No. 1 Kansas in Columbia on Dec. 8.
Grill had been averaging 13.8 points per game since SEC play began and came up big in Saturday’s statement victory for Mizzou. After going on a run to close out the opening half, the Tigers made it a rout after halftime.
They sank a season-high 15 three-pointers as a team and beat a ranked opponent for the fourth time this season.
Josh Gray was another notable performer in Starkville, earning his first double-double as a Tiger with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Tamar Bates added 14 points.
“He was ready for this game all along,” Gates said.
Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard led all scorers with 24 points. He was 6-of-11 from 3-point range.
Gates improved to his own personal feat, notching his 100th career win as a head coach. He received the game ball from the team.
“It just means I have the right players playing hard for me,” Gates said. “Ultimately, we recruit how we recruit, but once we recruit, they become family forever. That 100 belongs to a lot of kids.”
Even with the team’s fourth ranked win of the year, Gates’ mantra has stayed the same from past weeks: The Tigers are still improving.
“We’ve yet to reach our full potential,” Gates said. “I’m excited to see the day when we do, but I think we’re trending in the right direction. ... I’m just thankful these guys are playing hard for us.”
Next up: The Tigers remain on the road, taking on No. 8 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) at 6 p.m. Central on Wednesday in Knoxville, Tenn. The Vols will be coming off a statement win of their own after toppling No. 5 Florida 64-44 at home Saturday.
“We’re going to enjoy this, but by the time we get back tonight, we’re really going to look at Tennessee,” Grill said. “We just gotta move our focus to the next game.”
This story was originally published February 1, 2025 at 2:18 PM.
