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MBB Live Thread: Mizzou looking for season-altering road win against No. 5 Florida

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LSU v Missouri
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Gainesville Gators are one of the hottest teams in the country, but can Dennis Gates’ group pull off another upset?

First Half

  • Both teams trading punches early with Mizzou frustrating the Gators, some tough misses with good looks for the Tigers has allowed the Gators to get off easy on their defensive mistakes. Tamar Bates is off to a good start with 5 points as the Tigers lead 9-7 at the Under-16.
  • This one is setting up to be a barnburner, Walter Clayton is three points from matching his total in last years game and this is only the second TV timeout. Missouri doing a great job of getting inside and getting to the line. Crews with a very stylish post up play and hits a clean floater and the Tigers have really tightened their defense around the rim. Grill picks up a loose ball and drains a triple but Clayton gets an and-one and is a free throw away from MATCHING his total from last years game. 24-17 with 12:06 left in the half in favor of Mizzou.
  • CALEB. GRILL. He’s hot today as he hits his third-straight three to open the game. HE HITS ANOTHER. AS HE FADES AWAY. UNBELIEVABLE. The lead is 13!
  • The threes are raining like cats and dogs, Jacob Crews is in on the action right now. The rim seems as if it is expanded by double as the Tigers are almost averaging two-points per possession. Very physical game right now as both teams have 13 combined fouls with over nine minutes remaining. 35-22 Mizzou with 9:20 remaining.
  • THREE! Anthony Robinson II wide open from the perimeter and that gives the Tigers their largest lead of the game 40-23. Robinson hits a turnaround on the ensuing possession and the Tigers are shooting a stunning 65% from the field. Florida hits a three to answer, but its 42-26 Mizzou!
  • Florida is answering and all of Mizzou’s progress could get dashed if they don’t adjust quick, Clayton hits an and-one and the Tigers shooting magic seems to be fizzling. As I say that, Caleb Grill is being subbed on. Incredible feed from Mitchell to Bates with the shot clock waning to get a big basket. Florida answers with a deep three. A questionable foul on Anthony Robinson and just like that, it is 44-34 Mizzou with 4:32 left.
  • Thomas Haugh just picked up his FOURTH foul of the game with 4:15 left in the first half, a hugely important member of the frontcourt defensively for Florida.
  • Mark Mitchell with a strong move on the inside which looked to have dinged Walter Clayton. Grill with a DEEP heat check after a good defensive play, but some lackadaisical ball handling from Trent Pierce leads to it being an empty possession. Another turnover from Perkins this time, just really poor ball security here. 46-34 Mizzou with 2:10 left in the half.
  • UNBELIEVABLE! Tony Perkins catches the rebound after Anthony Robinson misses the second leg of a one-and-one and he puts it in with the foul! Extremely tough sledding considering he had two much bigger guards on him vying for the rebound.
  • HALFTIME. The Tigers lead 50-34 at the half after an amazing half of offense and a brilliant defensive display for the final 4:30 with the Gators held scoreless for its entirety. Grill leads the Tigers with 12 Points and Bates has 10, while Clayton has 18 points.

Second Half

  • TREEEENT PIERCE!? HE HAS A FAMILY. A RIM ROCKER FROM HIM WITH THE FOUL-AND-ONE. That’s going to be on plenty of highlight reels as he silences the Gainesville crowd. The Mizzou bench has to be held back in excitement. 55-41 Mizzou with 16:20 left in the game.
  • Florida’s crowd is in this game, constantly sloppy possessions on the offensive end for Mizzou has this Gator-crowd ready to erupt. SILENCER! Anthony Robinson in the defenders face for three. 58-46 Mizzou at the under-16 timeout.
  • Gators hit a three after poor defensive rebounding from Mizzou that leads to a wide-open look. Florida hits another basket and the lead is reduced to seven. Gates takes a timeout and it’s 58-51 with 12:50 left.
  • Mitchell finally responds, and gets inside after the Gators reduced the lead to five. This is very dangerous territory right now for the Tigers. Grill with a drive on the ensuing possession and the lead is back to nine for Mizzou. Tigers are back in foul trouble though with six fouls with 11:05 left, 62-53 Mizzou.
  • Walter Clayton went to the tunnel during the TV timeout but is back on the bench, something to look for. Could be the ding he got from Mitchell earlier in the game. Mizzou gets another foul and now Florida has almost 11 minutes of being in the bonus, Tigers need to be cleaner now with Allen and Robinson on four fouls.
  • JACOB CREWS. What amazing hustle, this team is just feeding off of each other right now. Constantly dominating the offensive glass right now and this is some of the best rebounding this team has had all season. Two fouls on two consecutive possessions for Mizzou and that foul disparity is all but gone.
  • Flagrant two foul given to Tony Perkins for hitting Alijah Martin in a…area of concern. The foul means the ball will be given to Florida and they will also get free throws, huge turning point in this game. Tony Perkins is now ejected from the game.
  • Mark Mitchell has now picked up his fourth foul while defensive rebounding. This one really seems as if it was not a foul, Dennis Gates smiles in response as the Gators pick up the rebound on the one-and-one and hit a three. Thomas Haugh just fouled out of the game after he picked up four very early, as he fouled Grill battling for a rebound. It seems as if many players won’t be able to survive this game.
  • Oh my goodness this is insane. The foul has been REVERSED, and the foul goes to Grill and Florida keeps the ball WITH two free throws. Dennis Gates is NOT going to like that.
  • Pierce misses a dunk on a beautiful feed by Mitchell but Pierce is fouled on the offensive rebound and will have a chance to give Mizzou a six-point lead. This game has gotten close here but Florida has been unable to take the lead the crowd so craves. Pierce misses the front end of the one-and-one. WHAT A FEED FROM T.O. BARRETT. Checks into the game when Perkins normally would, and drives and dishes to Mark Mitchell. Florida answers with their own bucket, it’s 70-66 Mizzou with 4:45 to go.
  • Tamar Bates with a beautiful steal off a tipped pass from Pierce, he feeds Pierce who hits the flush. Clayton hits a three and it is back to a one possession game. TRENT PIERCE. He hits a three and the lead is back to six, but another questionable foul leads to, you guessed it, two more shots for the Gators. 75-69 Mizzou with 3:08 left in this nailbiter.
  • Joshua Gray is human, as he misses two free throws on an empty trip. Condon’s hand was on the rim on his dunk attempt, it could have been a goaltend. Walter Clayton is fouled on a three-point attempt and was not even touched. Not one bit of contact. Ball doesn’t lie as Clayton misses two of the shots, but frustrating nonetheless. 75-71 Mizzou with 2:38 left.
  • CALEB. GRILL. Incredible three-point shot fading away and he extends the lead to seven, but Florida quickly gets a two the other way. Mark Mitchell is fouled on the ensuing possession and has a chance to give Mizzou the seven-point lead back. Mitchell misses the first, and hits the second. 79-73 Tigers with 1:49 left.
  • Rueben Chinyelu picks up his fifth foul of the game after holding Caleb Grill off of a ball screen away from the play. To the dismay of the Florida crowd who I guess, has not watched this game. Grill misses both huge free throws. Grill makes a huge play on defense, and he’s convinced this has gone off of a Gator player and there will be a review. This looks to be out off of Grill, but very close nonetheless.
  • Huge break for Florida as Mizzou had two guys in perfect position for the rebound, but it went off of both and out of bounds. Alijah Martin throws up a floater and it is 79-77. 38.5 seconds left, 30 seconds on the shot clock. Season-defining possession upcoming for the Tigers.
  • Exhale. Caleb Grill makes a bad pass on the full court press, Dennis Gates takes an amazing timeout to avoid a 10-second violation. 29 seconds left, 20 seconds on the shot clock.
  • Mark Mitchell is intentionally fouled, with the biggest free throws of the season. Missouri is 5-14 from the free-throw line in this half. You would like to think if he hits these two this game is over. Mitchell hits the first, AND THE SECOND ROLLS IN. CLUTCH FROM THE DUKE TRANSFER.
  • An amazing defensive display from T.O. Barrett as the freshman suffocates Walter Clayton Jr, and it leads to the time being waned down to 11 seconds left. Mizzou leads 81-77. 12.4 left in the game, Gator ball.
  • Condon lays it in with six seconds left, and Caleb Grill is fouled. He can sink the Gators with two shots here, after missing two earlier. Grill hits the first, and BURIES THE SECOND. His 22nd point of the game, what a game for the captain.
  • BALLGAME. Mizzou gives Florida an open look from three but its meaningless, as the Tigers win a marathon 83-82. It is the Tigers second top five win of the season, and they are now 3-1 in SEC Play. After two hours and 40 minutes, this one is over.

Pregame Updates

Game Info

When: 8 PM CST

Where: Stephen C. O’Connell Center; Gainesville, Fl.

TV: ESPNU | SEC Network+

Radio | Tiger Radio Network // Sirius/XM -119/199

Twitter | @MizzouHoops

Spread: FLA -10.5

Win Prob: FLA 80.8%

Read the Preview

5 Fan Questions

  1. Will Mizzou be able to contain Walter Clayton Jr. tonight after he scored his third-lowest of the SEC-slate last season against Mizzou?
  2. Will Mizzou be able to force more than 12 turnovers?
  3. How quickly will Mizzou be in the bonus in both halves?
  4. Who will be Mizzou’s leading scorer tonight?
  5. What is your prediction for the score?