3 Takeaways from Missouri's Home Victory Over Vanderbilt

A good shooting night and more aided in a important Missouri win to keep its home winning streak alive.

Jan 11, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Jacob Crews (35) and the rest of the Tigers squad huddle before the start of the game. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

The Missouri Tigers secured a second and much-needed win in conference play over the Vanderbilt Commodores, winning 75-66 and improving to 13-3 in the process.

Missouri needed this win over Vanderbilt. Defending home court in the SEC has become a priority for any team in the conference looking for an NCAA Tournament birth, which they managed to do. There certainly were hiccups and Mark Byington and the Commodores gave the Tigers a run for their money, closing the scoring gap in the second half and forcing the Tigers to make plays. Missouri, however, did just that and managed to pull away a victory.

Here are three takeaways from the Tigers second conference victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Above-Average Perimeter Performance

Missouri is shooting 36.9% from the perimeter this season. That was before its 41.7% outing against the Commodores. By no means was this a stellar, stand-out perimeter shooting night but it was enough to push the Tigers across the finish line first. The timeliness of some of the makes, as well as the total quantity of 10, made for an impactful three-point shooting night.

Eight different Tigers attempted triples in this game and the only two of those eight not to make one were Mark Mitchell and Jacob Crews. The best and most efficient of the bunch were guards Anthony Robinson II and Tamar Bates. Both made 100% of their attempts and both attempted two from outside the arc. Robinson's makes were both contested step-backs off the dribble, one coming early in the first half and the second later.

Bates made his second from outside around halfway through the second and, shortly after, Caleb Grill would knock down the final outside make of the game. The Tigers only attempted two more threes after that make and still managed to win the game. It's a sign that the perimeter is a useful and somewhat efficient tool for the Tigers on offense but it's not something they must live and die by.

Final Two Minutes

A trio of made free throws by Vanderbilt guard Jason Edwards brought a long-standing Tiger lead to only two points with 2:11 to play. Missouri's momentum was dying and the more the clock ticked, the more Vanderbilt had the opportunity to pull away. After those free throws, some sort of switch flipped on both sides of the ball for Missouri that helped them walk away with a win.

The Tigers went on a 7-0 scoring run during that final two-minute stretch and, at the same time, did not let Vanderbilt score. The Commodores stayed at 66 points for the rest of the night after Edwards' trip to the free-throw line because of the swarming Missouri defense. Grill was fouled on a three-point attempt right after Edwards was and made all three attempts and there wasn't anything Vanderbilt could do from there.

Missouri's effort during the final two minutes also stood out. From flying around on defense to getting open on offense to an important offensive rebound with 30 seconds to play, the Tigers earned its victory in the final two-minute stretch. Not allowing Vanderbilt to score during that time after a hot second half was truly impressive and is an example of what the Tigers can do at full force.

A Perfect Match

Entering the matchup between both teams, it was common knowledge that both squads played similar brands of basketball. The two teams love getting to the free throw line, love sharing the ball and share similar offensive philosophies. That point was proven in the final stat sheet comparison between the Tigers and Commodores.

Looking up and down each team stat, both teams were nearly identical in categories impactful to the game. Missouri recorded 14 assists to Vanderbilt's 11, both squads committed 14 turnovers and 19 points off those turnovers.

The Commodores shot slightly better from the free throw line, shooting 80% from the area compared to Missouri's 68%. The Tigers attempted five more free throws and made one more going 17-for-25. Getting to the free throw line is a staple for both squads and they did it frequently in this matchup. It was an impactful stat for both squads despite the final result.

Missouri also only grabbed four more rebounds than the Commodores, finishing with 33 compared to Vanderbilt's 29. Both squads grabbed nine offensive rebounds as well.

The eerily similar comparisons in the box score were the mark of two similar teams with similar styles of play. The Tigers' suffocating defense didn't end up on the box score and became the separator between both teams. Without the defensive performance throughout the 40 minutes of play, the Tigers wouldn't have gotten out to its fast start or been able to close out the game. That simply won't pop out on a box score.

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