3 Takeaways from Mizzou’s Nail-Biting Loss to No. 20 Arkansas

Thoughts from a long and grueling battle between the Tigers and Razorbacks.

Feb 21, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wing Billy Richmond III (24) drives against Missouri Tigers guard Trent Pierce (11) during the first half at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

COLUMBIA, Mo. — It won’t be easy to shrug off Missouri’s 88-84 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Tigers had ample chances to win the game and multiple opportunities to extend it. They just weren’t able to execute in the key moments that warranted it. 

With the loss came plenty of emotions. The sound of the buzzer at the end of the game marked the last time that Mark Mitchell, Shawn Phillips Jr., Jayden Stone, Jacob Crews and Jevon Porter would play in Mizzou Arena. That made the loss a whole lot more challenging.

All at the same time, it’s fair to say that the Tigers passed the eye test despite the result. They hung around and even led for around nine minutes after trailing by as much as 15 points in the first half. Dennis Gates' entire team showed resillience and toughness, even if the game didn't end the way they wanted it to.

Here are three takeaways from Missouri’s season-finale. 

Missouri shows its resilience

Feb 21, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard D.J. Wagner (21) drives against Missouri Tigers guard T.O. Barrett (5) during the first half at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

On two separate occasions, the Tigers had to get gritty and battle back from a deficit. 

The first 15 minutes of the game for the Tigers were simply ugly. Arkansas was better and more intense on both sides of the ball, an effort fueled by sophomore wing Billy Richmond Jr. and senior forward and former Missouri Tiger Trevon Brazile. Arkansas led by as much as 15 points in the first half, a lead they held at the 5:32 mark. From that point on, the Tigers answered the call of everything the Razorbacks put forward. 

“We got stops,” Gates said. “We stopped that team from being in (the) fast break. We took care of the basketball. Was able to rebound, and I thought we were organized.”

When Shawn Phillips Jr. gave the Tigers their first lead of the game at the 16:42 mark of the second half, it wasn’t all that surprising. Missouri was in the middle of a 25-9 run when it took that initial lead, marking an impressive comeback and resilience that hasn’t always been there during SEC play. A combination of things improved during that time, especially Missouri’s intensity on defense. The easy looks Arkansas was getting at the beginning of the first half went away for the rest of the game because players like Anthony Robinson II, Jayden Stone and Mark Mitchell made clear efforts to raise the level of defense they were playing. 

This resilience didn’t guarantee a win by any means, but doing enough to get back into the game after looking as poor as they did to start was very important. 15 points by no means is an impossible mountain to climb, but it was more challenging given the opponent. Arkansas’ physicality and length are hard to play against on offense, which makes going on extended runs hard. 

Missouri had to toughen up and buckle down once again in overtime. After a missed attempt to win the game from T.O. Barrett at the end of regulation, Arkansas came out and secured a four-point lead. In overtime, with the clock against you, every possession is valuable. Missouri was able to make the most of its offensive and defensive possessions after the Razorbacks earned that lead until they pulled away. 

In the final two minutes of overtime, Brazile and Malique Ewin bared their teeth and willed their team to a win. Arkansas’ effort was too much for Missouri to handle and it looked like the Tigers ran out of gas. A triple at the end of overtime by Brazile was the final nail in Missouri’s coffin. 

“We told him, you're going to make a dagger, and I knew we'd make that shot when we said it for throw back to him, shoot it,” Calipari said. 

Mitchell shines in final home game

Nov. 8, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Mark Mitchell (25) is introduced prior to the game against the Howard Bison. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

Time and time again, Mitchell has made crucial plays and had big performances for the Tigers. He did exactly that in his final game in a Missouri uniform, finishing with 32 points on 11-for-20 shooting. He added four rebounds and four assists to his final stat line, as well. Mitchell eclipsed the 1,000-point mark as a Missouri Tiger with this performance. 

The Tigers made a clear effort to prioritize geting him the ball on offense and it seemed to work. Typically, he had either Brazile or Richmond defending him. For the most part, he was able to make the most of and win those matchups. Brazile and Richmond are both players who are known for their defensive abilities and Mitchell was able to use his physicality and athleticism to defy that. His versatility was a challenge for the Razorbacks to handle on defense.

“You say don't let him go left. Well, then he goes right, then he scores, and he makes free throws and he’ll rebound,” Arkansas head coach John Calipari said. “I mean, he's one of those guys in this league. He should be first team all-conference.”

Mitchell’s efficiency was pivotal, as well. He was one of three players who finished above 50 percent from the field, while also maintaining good shot selection. Though there aren’t really any bad shots for Mitchell at this point in his career in Dennis Gates’ offense, he still managed to get looks that are within the confines of Gates’ system. 

What Mitchell did on Saturday morning is fairly indicative of how his Missouri career has gone. He’s long been a player who can physically dominate any opponent that he faces and that is, without a doubt, his biggest strength as a player. His savviness as a scorer appeared on numerous occasions in his two years with the Tigers, as it did against Arkansas. 

Mitchell was able to take film from Missouri’s last meeting with Arkansas and applied it to this go-around, knowing the intricacies of what the Razorbacks tend to do on defense.

“I was just aggressive,” Mitchell said. “I remember the first time we played them, I had a pretty good game. I know their coverage has been more one-on-one, less help and things like that. I just had an advantage all game, and just tried to take advantage of that.”

He did make a crucial mistake down the stretch, throwing a turnover with under 30 seconds left in overtime while the Tigers trailed by two. It was uncharacteristic of his performance on Saturday afternoon, but there’s no discounting its impact. 

At the end of the day, Mitchell’s 32-point outing for the final time in Mizzou Arena was nothing short of fitting as his college career comes to a close, even if the game ended with a loss. The tears he shed during his Senior Day ceremony alongside his teammates and Gates were indicative of that, as well.  

No Acuff? No Problem.

Feb 14, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas warms up prior to the game against the Auburn Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Arkansas was without star freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. It felt like that was going to be a difference-maker and it was, but John Calipari had another true freshman guard step right into his place as a scorer. Meleek Thomas finished the game with 28 points on 9-for-22 shooting, along with seven rebounds. The Razorbacks needed a true volume scorer to fill the shoes of Acuff and his freshman counterpart was ready for the challenge.

The Tigers were ready for Thomas to take a lot of shots and for them to go in. Nobody was shocked by his outing.  

“He's kind of been doing the same thing with Acuff playing,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, with Acuff out, he hit some tough ones, man. He's a really good player. We were surprised by it.”

Unlike Mitchell for the Tigers, Thomas’ shot selection wasn’t all that great. He made them, though. A lot of them. His head coach wasn’t thrilled by some of the shots, however. 

“I just grabbed them in the hallway and said, I love coaching you, but you drive me crazy,” Calipari said. “Some of the shots you take are ridiculous, but I got to let you go some, because it makes you who you are.”

His mid-range shooting was the most impressive, along with his quick-release three-point attempts. The speed of his jumpshot release makes him much harder to defend, along with his general shiftiness. T.O. Barrett and Robinson did a good job of forcing him into contested shots and tried to use strength to stop him. His offense was just better than their defense. 

The impressive freshman did miss a free throw that could’ve given his team the lead with 31.6 seconds left in the game. Thomas was fortunate that his miss didn’t come back to bite the Razorbacks in regulation, but it was still a minor lapse in Thomas’ very impactful game. 

Moving forward

The Tigers now await the Saturday slate of SEC games for seeding in the SEC Tournament to be finalized. They finished 10-8 in conference play, which still may be enough for them to get a first-round bye. It all depends on the rest of the conference and Missouri is now playing the waiting game.