Mizzou surges past Kentucky in final minute for first ever win at Rupp Arena
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mizzou snapped 0-9 Rupp Arena skid with a 73-68 upset at Kentucky.
- Missouri closed on a 15-2 run over final 4:24 as Kentucky stalled offensively.
- Mark Mitchell (21) and Jayden Stone (20) delivered clutch plays to secure win.
Mizzou men’s basketball is leaving Lexington, Kentucky, with something it has never experienced before.
A road win at Kentucky.
The Tigers, previously 0-9 all-time at Rupp Arena, took advantage of a struggling Kentucky Wildcats squad for a 73-68 upset win.
The Wildcats had the momentum going into halftime, riding a buzzer-beating half-court shot by Otega Oweh that followed an Anthony Robinson turnover.
The Wildcats, who trailed by six with 38 seconds to play in the half, went to the break down only 33-32. And the run continued, with the Wildcats claiming a 41-35 lead.
Kentucky later led 66-58 with 4:37 to play.
But the Wildcats didn’t score for more than two minutes of play, while Missouri closed the game with a 15-2 run over the final 4:24.
“What’s rare is how they responded,” Mizzou coach Dennis Gates said, speaking on his team’s comeback effort. “How they stay together, how they were able to execute the game plan, stay focused, remain resilient, and they were active listeners completely throughout the game in every situation.”
Kentucky committed three turnovers during Mizzou’s decisive run, including one from Malachi Moreno that Mark Mitchell turned into a jumper to give the Tigers the lead with under a minute left.
Robinson found Mitchell for his 10th assist of the night on the play.
“Our guys played, they took over the huddle and they led in a tremendous way,” Gates said. “You heard their voices, not my voice, and I give them credit for what they have accomplished. And I’m proud of them.”
Jayden Stone made two separate trips to the line after Mitchell’s go-ahead shot, making all four foul shots to secure the win. Stone and Mitchell were both central figures throughout.
Gates said that Mitchell “put the team on his back” in the win. The KC native led Missouri in scoring with 21 points. Stone added 20 points and seven rebounds.
Robinson had nine points, one short of a double-double.
“(Mitchell) allowed other guys to step up when he needed a break,” Gates said. “I’m proud of Mark Mitchell and our entire program and staff.”
Overall, there were 11 lead changes at Rupp Arena.
The Wildcats had hurt Missouri in transition, with a 24-7 edge in fast-break points. And Kentucky was able to get to the rim for much of the early action. But the Tigers limited the inside scoring opportunities down the stretch.
Forced to fire from the perimeter, Kentucky missed its final three 3-point attempts of the game, all during the final 4:24.
“They lived behind the 3-point line late in the game,” Gates said. “Our zone, whatever it was ... it put them in a stagnant situation. Transition was the way they got to the paint. Once we withstood the whistle — and not picking up fouls that were cheap — I think our guys ended up being able to rebound, make key plays, clog up the middle.”
Gates praised Shawn Phillips Jr. for the team’s response. Phillips landed a dunk off a Robinson assist to make it a one-score game, leading to Mitchell’s go-ahead bucket.
“Shawn Phillips played a tremendous game,” Gates said. “I’m absolutely proud of Shawn Phillips. He is a tremendous player. He just helps us out with his vocabulary, being able to talk, point, and he was someone that anchored down there.”
The Tigers hung tough Wednesday despite beginning 0-for-5 from 3. Trent Pierce gave Mizzou its first 3-point make at the 8:19 mark. Missouri still led by as many as seven points in the first half.
“We just focused on playing our best basketball,” Gates said.
The Tigers also drilled down on not committing fouls in practice. They committed only eight in the first half, 11 in the second.
“I just blew the whistle every single time a guy just put their pinky finger on somebody in practice,” Gates said. “The way our guys responded after hearing a whistle was ultimately how we won the game.”
The Tigers, now 12-3 overall and 2-0 in SEC play, will next play against Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. That game will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday on the SEC Network.
Ole Miss (8-7, 0-2 SEC) lost its conference opener to Oklahoma last week and fell to Arkansas on Wednesday night.
This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 9:19 PM.
