Mizzou men’s basketball wins in 81-80 nail-biter over Vanderbilt – The Maneater

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Missouri men’s basketball claimed a bounce-back, ranked victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores in a game that was too close for comfort. Missouri led by double digits for nearly the entire second half, but a late-game collapse that was almost capped with a half-court game-winning shot made the final score a narrow 81-80.
After a somewhat rocky start to the first period that saw Missouri record five turnovers in the first eight minutes of action, the Tigers turned things up in a major way. Led by sophomore guard T.O. Barrett — who recorded seven of the team’s first 17 points — Missouri clung onto a two-point lead through the first 10 minutes.
In the latter part of the first half, it was the Jayden Stone show, as the graduate guard racked up 12 points and seven rebounds. However, the Commodores didn’t let upas they gnawed back at the Tigers’ runs, putting Missouri up just six at the break.
The Tigers came out swinging in the second, jumping out to an 11-3 run to open the period. Missouri channeled energy from that run into defensive intensity, surrendering just 12 points through the first 10 minutes of the second half.
The Tigers extended their lead all the way up to 21 points in the second, but the Commodores refused to go away, battling their way back into the game and almost completing a comeback. However, in the end, a pair of clutch free throws from Barrett and a taste of luck from the basketball gods was enough for the Tigers to squeak out the one-point victory.
Stone finished with 19 points to go along with seven rebounds — both of which were the highest marks for the Tigers. The 25-year-old continues to be one of the few consistent weapons for Missouri in a season that has been plagued by inconsistency.
Although it wasn’t his most productive scoring night, senior forward Mark Mitchell impacted the game immensely as a playmaker, finishing with a team and season high of nine assists. Mitchell continues to build upon his all-Southeastern Conference team resume, showcasing the versatility he can bring on a night-to-night basis.
Vanderbilt sophomore guard Tyler Tanner fought tooth and nail for the Commodores all night despite the losing effort, finishing the game with 27 points and five assists. His night was almost capped off with what would’ve been a legendary game-winning shot, but in the end, the shot rimmed out.
This victory is a huge confidence boost for a Missouri team that was coming off one of its more embarrassing losses of the season at home against the Texas Longhorns. An impactful win like this further builds Missouri’s resume for postseason play — something head coach Dennis Gates spoke on after the game.
“This is a good team that we play, the team that was in the top 10, top five in the country, obviously one that’s in the top five in the net,” Gates said. “So for us to be able to get that on our resume is very important.”
Missouri is back in action on the road this Saturday, taking on the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville.
 
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