3 Takeaways from Mizzou's Home Victory Over Ole Miss

The No. 22 Missouri Tigers needed a bounce-back win badly. They got it in the form of an 83-75 victory over No. 16 Ole Miss.
For the second straight game, an ugly affair presented itself. From the number of fouls called and free throws attempted to 29 combined turnovers between both teams, neither team played anywhere near perfect. Fortunately for the Tigers, they had a few more shotmakers than their opponent.
Without its two veteran guards combining for over half of the team's scoring, a win may not have ensued. The ability to step up and hit clutch shots was a defining moment in the career of both Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill. Their surrounding cast made the lives of those two easy, as well.
Here are three thoughts from Missouri's win over Ole Miss:
Grill and Bates
The Tigers would not have walked away with a win against the Rebels if it weren't for Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates. On a night where neither team garnered any offensive rhythm and both squads lived at the free-throw line, what those two did was pretty remarkable. From a pure shotmaking standpoint, the argument could be made that it's one of the best games of both of their careers.
"These two, they carried us," Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said of Bates and Grill. "They made big play after big play, and they were definitely doing the same in a huddle with their leadership."
Bates finished the evening with 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting, going 4-for-6 from outside. He also was perfect from the free-throw line. All in all, it seemed as if he couldn't do much wrong. In the grand scheme of things, that was probably the case and his second-best scoring output of the season was nothing but impressive.
The same could be said for Grill. He finished the night with 22 points on 6-for-12 shooting and 6-for-10 shooting from the outside. He also was perfect from the free-throw line.
Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard said it best — Bates and Grill delivered special performances and Ole Miss didn't have anyone step up to that level. There is no doubt that Grill and Bates were the separating factor in this win and it will be hard for Missouri to lose if the two continue to play at this caliber.
Perimeter Shooting
The three-point numbers are elevated by the play of Bates and Grill but it was still an important figure to the final score. The Tigers ended the night shooting 10-for-24 from outside, equating to 41.6%.
Outside of the star pair of guards, Ant Robinson II and Jacob Crews were the only two to convert from the three-point line. Crews went 1-for-3 and Robinson made his sole attempt.
Even if the total percentage is mainly due to Grill and Bates, the overall shooting night was another separating factor. Ole Miss only shot 30% from the perimeter on 20 attempts, all of which were generally good looks. Two of those also came in the final two minutes when the game was nearly complete.
Ugly Basketball
By no means was this game as hard to watch as Missouri's loss at Texas was. That being said, the number of fouls that were whistled and the number of reviews and stoppages made it hard to generate any momentum, for both teams.
That makes the magnitude of this victory even larger. It seemed as if on every trip down the court, either way, there was a foul called. The Tigers also had to fight through some adversity, with Robinson fouling out and Trent Pierce also getting into foul trouble.
In a game where rhythm is lacking and there is no true flow, capitalizing on good shot attempts and scoring in transition is more important than anything. Missouri did that to the best of its ability, mainly in the form of knocking down some clutch shots.
Sometimes, especially in conference play, games muck up to be ugly. It's then when you learn the most about your team. That was the case against Ole Miss. Despite adversity, Missouri stayed poised and never gave up its lead. That will be important down the stretch of the season when things don't always go their way.
Read More Missouri Tigers News:
Everything Dennis Gates, Chris Beard Said After Mizzou's Win Over Ole Miss
Experienced Duo's 'A-Plus Performances' Were Driving Force in Mizzou Victory
Tamar Bates, Caleb Grill Lift No. 22 Mizzou Over No. 16 Ole Miss in Bounce Back Game