Missouri trailed 1-0 ... before tipoff. Here’s how the rest of Mizzou-Georgia unfolded
Another double-digit win for the Tigers in the books. And another SEC road victory, too.
The No. 21-ranked Missouri men’s basketball took over Saturday’s game against the Georgia Bulldogs, rolling to a 87-74 decision at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia.
The path to this win, days removed from a 24-point drubbing of Oklahoma, started in not-so-typical fashion, with Mizzou (18-6, 7-4) trailing 1-0 ... before tipoff.
The Tigers were assessed an “administrative technical,” as their starting lineup initially — albeit mistakenly — listed true freshman Peyton Marshall ahead of Mark Mitchell (who was coming off a career-high 25-point performance on Wednesday).
The lineup error sent the Georgia Bulldogs (16-10, 4-9 SEC) to the line for a lead so early it was actually registered before the opening tip.
The lead went back and forth in the first half. The Tigers trailed 41-38 at halftime, shooting a chilly 35.1% from the field and an even worse 26.3% from 3-point range.
But the Tigers’ shots finally started falling after the break: MU was 58.5% from the field (40% from deep) in the second half.
“I think our guys came out in the second half and did a tremendous job,” Mizzou coach Dennis Gates said. “I’m proud of everything they’ve done.”
Anthony Robinson led the surge with 14 second-half points, while Mitchell had 12. Robinson finished with 15 points, Mitchell 14.
“It was a well-connected win,” Robinson said. “Our guys believed in each other, believed in me to play the point guard position, and we came out with the win today.”
Missouri sharpshooter Caleb Grill chipped in 15 points and Tamar Bates added 13.
While Robinson ultimately fouled out, he led the team in both rebounds (5) and assists (7). He also tied for the team lead with four steals.
Gates credited the Tigers’ defense in the second half as well as a 15-0 run fueled by Georgia turnovers. The Bulldogs had four in the second half and the Tigers took full advantage, creating nine points off UGA’s post-intermission giveaways (18 in all).
“Our defense stepped up,” Gates said.
The Tigers led for the final 17 minutes, 39 seconds of game time, going up by as many as 19 points.
“We listened to Coach’s game plan at halftime,” Robinson said, “and we went out there and executed.”
Up next: Missouri faces No. 2 Alabama on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at Mizzou Arena. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.; it will be broadcast on TV via the SEC Network.
The Tigers will be coming home to a sold-out crowd in Columbia to face one of the top teams in the nation. With Saturday’s win, Mizzou is in sixth place in the conference standings.
“We’re just taking it one game at a time,” Gates said.
This story was originally published February 15, 2025 at 5:04 PM.
