Despite never-ending whistles and second-half struggles, a big first half and last-minute free throws lifted the Tigers to a major upset victory.
Prior to Mizzou men’s basketball’s clash with No. 5 Florida, the SEC saw its only upset of the day take place in Tuscaloosa. No. 21 Ole Miss defeated No. 4 Alabama 74-64 for its first-ever road win against an AP-ranked top-five opponent; the Rebels were 0-34 in such contests before Thursday.
A few hours later, on the same channel that broadcasted the Rebels taking down the Crimson Tide, the Tigers also knocked off Goliath while making program history themselves. Mizzou defeated No. 5 Florida 83-82 for its first road win over an AP-ranked top-five opponent since Jan. 21, 2012 against No. 3 Baylor.
The Tigers dominated the first half. Their shining star was Caleb Grill, who cooked the Gators liked a southern barbecue. He shot 4/5 from three-point range in the first half, including three makes within 45 seconds of game action close to midway through the first half. Not only that, every shot he took was extremely contested. Even when Florida began hedging screens and sending extra help off the ball in hopes of containing Grill, he kept breaking free. He’d finish 6/10 from beyond the arc.
Grill wasn’t the only one dominating, however. Mizzou was also succeeding on the glass, which was extremely surprising from a statistical standpoint. Florida entered Thursday as the top rebounding team in college basketball; its 12.7 average rebound margin, 59.7% rebound percentage and 46.1 rebounds per game were tops in the nation. But the Gators struggled to contain the Tigers on the boards, as the road underdogs won the rebound battle 17-15. The only Gator that was performing proficiently was Walter Clayton Jr., who scored 18 of UF’s 34 points over the first 20 minutes.
When the halftime buzzer sounded, history had been made as Mizzou led 50-34. The Tigers hadn’t hit the half-century mark in the first half against an SEC opponent since Jan. 11, 2020 against Florida; they also hadn’t scored that much in the first half on the road since Jan. 21, 2009 against Oklahoma State.
However, the Gators fought back in the second half. Florida’s defense tightened up, Mizzou turned cold on the shooting front, and the Gators found success on the fastbreak. With just under eight minutes left in regulation, Florida had cut the lead to two, as Exatech Arena was arguably the loudest it’d been all game.
Along with the shrill cries of elated students, the gym was also filled with the sweet sound of blown whistles, as physicality was at a fever pitch. A combined 47 fouls were called, including one that seemed to turn the game’s tides with just under nine minutes left in regulation. As Tony Perkins was being guarded by Alijah Martin, Perkins attempted a rip-through move in a probable attempt to create space. However, Perkins’s elbow hit Martin in his, uh, groin area, and Martin crumbled to the ground. No foul was called on the floor; upon further review, however, Perkins’ cup check was ruled a Flagrant 2, ejecting Perkins from the game. The Gators proceeded to go on an 8-0 run.
But Mizzou didn’t fold; instead, it held strong. Despite more whistles and struggles from the free throw line, the Gators could never pull ahead. Mark Mitchell, who shot just over 60% from the free throw line entering Thursday, made two massive free throws to put Mizzou up by four with 12.4 seconds left; after a layup by Alex Condon, Grill hit two more free throws to seal the victory, avenging two previous misses.
Grill finished with 22 points. Mitchell (15), Anthony Robinson II (12) and Tamar Bates (10) each finished with double-figures in points as well. The Tigers also committed just eight turnovers and lost the rebound battle by just one. That included 15 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points. Clayton Jr. finished with 28 points; however, it wasn’t enough for his Gators to avoid an upset defeat.
The magnitude of this triumph cannot be overstated. Mizzou now has a signature win to its name, one that will likely pay massive dividends come Selection Sunday. The Tigers will return home for their next game against Arkansas on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. CST.