Can Missouri Tigers hoops team end 3-game road losing streak in Columbia, S.C.?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Missouri seeks to cure road inconsistencies after a three-game road skid.
- Team emphasizes execution and bringing home energy to Columbia, S.C.
- Mark Mitchell’s scoring consistency crucial against struggling Gamecocks.
The Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team enters February with a Saturday road game against South Carolina.
But MU’s biggest opponent may be breaking through a mental block.
Let’s call it a road block. The Tigers (15-7, 5-4 SEC) have struggled repeatedly in games away from Mizzou Arena this season. They’ve lost three games in a row on the road.
Falling to Notre Dame at the wire in its first road game of the 2025-26 season, way back on Dec. 2, started Mizzou down a road of hardships. Two rivalry games away from Mizzou Arena set head coach Dennis Gates’ team back even further, as MU lost handily to both Kansas and Illinois ahead of conference play.
Gates compared the Tigers’ midweek bye this week to the team’s extended holiday break, saying they had “a lot of things to work on (and) a lot of time to work on it.”
And if his squad’s current mini-break produces a similar result — Missouri entered the holiday break with an ugly Braggin’ Rights loss to Illinois but came out of it with an upset of Florida — Gates would no doubt be pleased.
There’s a difference now, though, and it’s not just MU’s next foe: The Tigers are coming off a win again, having beaten Mississippi State 84-79 last weekend, but have not won on the road in a month, since beating Kentucky.
“We just have to figure out how to play better,” graduate Mizzou guard Jayden Stone said of the Tigers performance away from Mizzou Arena. “That’s what we’ve been trying to do in practice, you know, being more thorough with our sets, more strategic in our execution. And I think that’s putting us in good stead.”
Stone acknowledged the tangible difference between the team they are at home, where they’re 13-1, versus the team they are on the road, where they’re 2-4. He emphasized the importance of bringing some home-like energy to Columbia — Columbia, South Carolina — on Saturday.
“We’ve showed a bit of recklessness on the road,” Stone said. “So, just maintain. ... It’s a whole like slew of, you know, of things that we need to kind of amalgamate together and combine to be as consistent as we can be, because I really believe in this team.”
While road mentality might be one of Missouri’s biggest obstacles right now, the Tigers still have to focus on the opponent, too. The Gamecocks (11-12, 2-8 SEC) rank next to last in the league rankings, above only Oklahoma.
Senior Meechie Johnson leads South Carolina in scoring, averaging 16.9 points per game. Three other Gamecocks are averaging low double-digit scoring.
“(South Carolina’s) had battles,” Gates said. “They’ve done things in home court against some teams, and they are a well-coached team with a great, great roster. And we’ve got our hands full and we’ve got to go our and give our best on the road.”
Missouri guard Mark Mitchell continues to reign as the Tigers’ top scorer this year. He’s averaging 17.5 points per game and is currently one of just eight players nationwide who have accumulated more than 375 points, 120 rebounds and 70 assists.
The Tigers will need Mitchell’s consistency Saturday. Tipoff is set for noon Central Time.
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