Three players led Mizzou’s upset win over Florida. Two of them were a surprise
In a season where Mizzou has been starved for a resume-building win, it finally earned one — in upset fashion.
The Tigers took down defending national champion and No. 22 Florida 76-74 to open Southeastern Conference play Saturday night at Mizzou Arena.
Junior guard Anthony Robinson II was in the driver’s seat all night, scoring 19 points, dishing out five assists and grabbing eight rebounds. Behind Robinson was a steady flow of contributions from two players Mizzou has been without for large portions of the season: graduate guard Jayden Stone and junior forward Trent Pierce.
The pair provided a much-needed boost to the Tigers following a disastrous loss to Illinois just 12 days ago, starting the SEC slate on a high note.
Anthony Robinson takes command
Mizzou (11-3, 1-0 SEC) saw Robinson command the game as a floor general. He scored only six points in the first half, but erupted for 13 in the second. His counterparts on Florida, senior Xaivian Lee and sophomore Boogie Fland, were held to just 11 and six points respectively.
“He did a good job managing, playing with poise and patience in the paint,” Florida coach Todd Golden said of Robinson. “I thought playing off two feet, getting the ball at the rim. He really hurt us at the beginning of the second half, that’s where I felt it the most.”
Robinson saw just a shade under 35 minutes of playing time, exceeded only by senior forward Mark Mitchell. The total eclipsed his season average by five, an indicator from Mizzou coach Dennis Gates of the growing trust he has placed in Robinson.
“This last week all the coaches have really been on us,” Robinson said. “We’ve been doing a lot of things, been in the gym for a little minute. So we just focused on the little details (to) make us closer as a team. And ultimately you saw what happened today.”
Stone and Pierce provide boost
The returns of both Stone and Pierce were noticeable in Mizzou’s conference opening win. The pair combined for 19 points, 11 rebounds and four 3-pointers.
Gates has spoken frequently about wanting to see a complete team on the floor, and Saturday night provided a potential preview of that going into league play.
“At the end of the day, having Trent Pierce, having Jayden Stone back gives us the type of shot-making but also the type of defense when it comes down to length, IQ and also rebounding,” Gates said.
Despite not playing all season, Pierce was able to put in a 19-minute shift, shooting an efficient 3-for-5 from the field. His presence was felt not just in his individual statistics, but in what he made available for his teammates on the floor.
“What changed with having Trent and Stone back out there, obviously you saw tonight the shot-making and the floor spacing,” Robinson said. “So it enabled me to get in the paint and pound, pound and get to the free throw line and get around to the rim.”
The Tigers struggled mightily in high-major play coming into tonight. Following a win over Minnesota at home, Mizzou suffered three straight losses away from Mizzou Arena, with the latter two coming in blowout fashion. For Pierce, the key to entering league play was a brief reset.
“We showed signs in some of the games against KU, Illinois, Notre Dame,” Pierce said. “We showed signs that we were a good team, but I think just having that time just to reflect and look back on, ‘What is it that we’re missing?’
“It really helped us kind of go into practice and just really focus on those things and elevate our game.”
Mizzou next takes the floor against Kentucky at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Lexington.
Copyright 2026 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published January 4, 2026 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Three players led Mizzou’s upset win over Florida. Two of them were a surprise."