3 Takeaways From Mizzou's Bounce-Back Win Against Mississippi State

Main thoughts from another gritty home victory for the Tigers.

Jan 31, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Mark Mitchell (25) blocks the shot of Mississippi State Bulldogs forward Achor Achor (99) during the first half of the game at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri Tigers must love drama.

That's what they delivered on Saturday afternoon after going wire-to-wire with the Mississippi Bulldogs and ending with an 84-79 victory. The final result was far closer than it needed to be, but the Tigers were able to outlast a late push from Josh Hubbard and the Bulldogs.

"Wire to wire is a tough position to be in, but I'll take it any day of the week," Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said following the win. "I knew and we knew that Mississippi State was going to fight back."

The Tigers improved to 15-7 and 5-4 in the Southeastern Conference after the win, keeping them afloat in NCAA tournament conversations. This win showed the grit and effort that the Tigers have displayed all season long, regardless of a win or a loss.

It also showed some weaknesses, including the struggle to close out games. Missouri led by as much as 16 points in the second half, but it ended the game by going 1-for-7 from the floor and not scoring any field goals in the final three minutes.

A win is a win at the end of the day for the Tigers, but by no means was it a perfect game. Adding one to the win column, however, is really what matters with this one all wrapped up.

Here are three takeaways from Missouri's fifth conference win of the season.

T.O. Barrett has to be on the floor

Jan 31, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Ja'borri McGhee (2) dribbles the ball as Missouri Tigers guard T.O. Barrett (5) defends during the first half of the game at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

This might have been a dramatic process of thought a few weeks ago, but it feels like when Barrett leaves the court, the Tigers start to decombust. That was proven by a dry streak the Tigers went on early in the first half, which allowed the Bulldogs to take one of two leads they held in the game. 

When Barrett went to the bench, Mississippi State was able to turn a 10-point deficit into a one-point lead. Headlined by Jayden Epps, who led the Bulldogs in scoring on Saturday with 23, Missouri’s comfortable lead slowly crept away from it. Epps scored nine points in that stretch and the Tigers allowed two triples. 

Barrett checked back in for the rest of the half at the 9:24 mark and the Tigers led 42-35 heading into the halftime break. Those two things don’t seem like a coincidence. 

It happened again when Barrett left the game at the 6:25 mark of the second half. Missouri led 69-60 at that moment, which was directly followed by a Jayden Stone layup to increase that lead to 11. But by the 3:54 mark, with Barrett still on the bench, Missouri led by only seven points. 

Barrett, once again taken out of the game in a crucial moment, checked back in with 2:22 to play. He checked out for a brief period between then and the end of the game, but it was his made free throws that iced it. Despite it not being his best shooting night, what Barrett was able to contribute to the team’s offense and defense now appears to be irreplaceable. 

“T.O. Barrett, tremendous job. Knocked down eight for eight free throws, 16 points (and) eight rebounds,” Gates said. “I thought he had an amazing, amazing game without a doubt.”

The rise of Barrett up the Missouri depth chart and into the starting lineup has been impressive. His growth over recent weeks and his increased confidence have been even more fun to watch. Everything he does at this point, outside of a few too many turnovers, seems to be something that helps make winning plays.

The lid comes off the basket (kind of)

Jan 31, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Trent Pierce (11) makes a three point shot as Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Shawn Jones Jr. (5) defends during the first half of the game at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Dennis Gates talked about a lid being on the basket in Missouri’s loss earlier in the week against Alabama. He wasn’t wrong, and the Tigers were able to take that lid off against the Bulldogs. The Tigers ended up shooting 43.1 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from the three-point line and 75.8 percent from the charity stripe. They were at their best to start the game. 

“We just played with a pretty fast pace at the start of the game,” Barrett said. “We wanted to get going and we found our open shots.”

Free throws were a massive issue in that loss to Alabama, shooting 35-percent. A night that bad sets a low bar for games to come, but following it up with a high frequency of attempts and not many misses must have reinstilled some confidence for the Tigers. In fact, the Tigers made eight free throws in the first half alone, which was as many as they made in the entire game against the Crimson Tide on Tuesday. 

Making 25 on 33 attempts is certainly a step in the right direction. 

“We've made some mistakes in the past few games, missing free throws, but ultimately, we've been in the gym working on it and doing pressure-free throws in practice,” Barrett said. “So it clearly shows.”

The Tigers shot 44.8% from the field in the first half, along with 44.4% from the perimeter and 66.7% from the free-throw line. Their field goal percentage and three-point percentage both plummeted in the second half, making those numbers look far worse. 

When you shoot 19-percent from the perimeter in a single game, there’s really no other direction but up. So, Missouri’s nine makes on 26 attempts really is a step in the right direction. It’s still not as good as it needs to be, however, especially if Missouri wants to make a push for the NCAA tournament in March.

At the very minimum, the Tigers shot far better against Mississippi State. Those might not be numbers that get them far or help them beat the better teams in the conference, but it was enough to walk out of Mizzou Arena with a win.

An uptick in forced turnovers

Jan 31, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Annor Boateng (6) and Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) scramble for a loose ball during the first half of the game at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Tigers only force 11.6 turnovers per game, on average. They also score only 12.7 points per game off those turnovers. So, forcing 14 against the Bulldogs and scoring 21 points off of those turnovers was a difference-maker in their win over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs averaged 11.7 per game before this contest. 

Mississippi State forced 10 turnovers, but only scored eight points off of them. In a game that ended up being closer than it needed to be, the points off turnovers margin became a crucial margin. Those 13 points certainly benefitted the Tigers, especially in the first half when they forced eight. 

Down the final stretch of this game, one that got closer as things progressed, Missouri managed to force three takeaways. It wasn't always able to capitalize with points off of them, but keeping the ball out of the hands of hot shooters like Epps and Hubbard was important. Hubbard, Epps and senior center Quincy Ballard all finished with three turnovers apiece.

Epps averages 1.7 per game and Hubbard averaged 2.2. Getting those two, who are known for their contested shot-making and shifty play styles, to turn the ball over six times made a difference. The defense that Barrett and Anthony Robinson II played on those two was even more impressive.

The Tigers will take the court next at noon on Saturday, Feb. 7, making a road trip to Columbia, South Carolina, to face the South Carolina Gamecocks.