3 Takeaways From Mizzou's Road Win Against South Carolina

Instant thoughts from Missouri's second SEC road win of the season.

Feb 7, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Missouri Tigers center Shawn Phillips Jr. (15) grabs a rebound over South Carolina Gamecocks forward EJ Walker (6) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Winning on the road has been a bit of a challenge for the Missouri Tigers during SEC play, but they made sure to walk out of Columbia, South Carolina, with an 78-59 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks.

This was a game that Missouri had true control of for its entirety. Though there were moments, primarily at the end of the first half and beginning of the second, where South Carolina narrowed its deficit, Missouri always had an answer.

Part of the reason for the win was South Carolina's inability to put the ball in the hoop. The Tigers shot 46.3 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from the three-point line, while the Gamecocks went 30.9 percent from the field and 13.6 percent from the perimeter. The stark differences in those numbers were enough reason for the Tigers to pull away, among other things.

The Tigers also had some really solid performances from their veterans that led to the win. All in all, Missouri was able to put together a very complete performance to lead to an important road win.

With the win, Missouri improved to 16-7 and 6-4 in SEC play.

Here are three takeaways from Missouri's win over the Gamecocks.

Mitchell shows his versatility

Jan 20, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Mark Mitchell (25) shoots a three point basket against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half of the game at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Heading into any SEC road game is always going to be a tall task, but senior forward Mark Mitchell brought the intensity needed to walk out of Colonial Life Arena with a victory. Mitchell finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists on 7-for-11 shooting.

Everything Mitchell did for the Tigers was beyond impactful. He became a hub of offense for Missouri, which was proven by his assist numbers, while also doing his typical scoring and rebounding.

Mitchell looked like a man amongst boys on the offensive side of the ball. Dennis Gates and the Tigers did an excellent job of getting Mitchell open down low or moving downhill, but the person defending him never truly mattered. Even against bigger forwards like Elijah Strong and Myles Stute, Mitchell was dominant.

His playmaking ability is also starting to shine through. He came into this contest averaging 3.3 assists per game, but has averaged just under four throughout SEC play. Mitchell's ability to attack the rim and either score or find his teammates on the perimeter opens up new avenues for Missouri's offense, especially when the Tigers are hitting shots as a collective.

This dominant performance from Mitchell is nothing new for the Tigers, but that doesn't mean it's not important. It's become very clear that if the Tigers want to continue to roll through the SEC with victories, Mitchell's going to need to play at a high level. He did that on Saturday afternoon against the Gamecocks, which resulted in a big road win.

Clamping down Meechie Johnson

Jan 28, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Meechie Johnson (5) attempts a three point basket against the Florida Gators in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Johnson is a sixth-year senior who knows how to put the ball in the hoop. It felt like he was going to be the main guy to stop and that Missouri guards T.O. Barrett and Anthony Robinson II would be tasked with defending him. That duo did exactly that, completely shutting down one of the best veteran scorers in the SEC.

Johnson finished with only 13 points on an ugly 2-for-13 shooting, scoring eight of his points at the free-throw line. He didn't get many comfortable shots when guarded by Barrett and Robinson and his shooting inefficiencies were a main reason for an eventual loss.

The Gamecocks needed Johnson to win this game and there's no debate about that. He's had some huge scoring nights this season and though they didn't all end in wins, he helped make a few of those games close.

That being said, being defended by Barrett and Robinson isn't easy. Barrett is big and physical, making it hard to get past him, while Robinson is simply a pest with active hands. He also knows how to bump guys and get into opposing offensive players to knock them off center.

This isn't the first time that Missouri's point guard duo has clamped down on an opposing lead guard. If it weren't for free-throw attempts for Josh Hubbard of Mississippi State in their previous outing, Hubbard would've scored only 18 points on under 50 percent shooting. That's going to be a big component of success for the Tigers moving forward.

Missouri's size overwhelms South Carolina

Feb 7, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates speaks with center Shawn Phillips Jr. (15) against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Simply put, Missouri just looked bigger and stronger on the road against the Gamecocks. South Carolina didn't have anyone to match the physicality of Mitchell and senior center Shawn Phillips Jr., which led to a variety of advantages in favor of the Tigers.

The biggest one was the rebounding battle. Missouri won that category 44 to 28, which has been uncommon throughout this season. The Tigers also racked up 16 offensive boards to their 11, which the Tigers converted into 16 second-chance points compared to South Carolina's eight.

Outside of Missouri's front court, South Carolina had issues stopping Missouri's lengthy guards on offense. Jayden Stone went for 22 points on 7-for-9 shooting and Trent Pierce went for eight points on 3-for-9 shooting. Even Barrett, who's listed at 6-foot-4, finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.

The length and size Missouri possesses have posed issues to opponents all season long. There are certain SEC teams that just aren't able to match up with teams like that and the Gamecocks are one of them. South Carolina has big men, like Christ Essandoko, who didn't play against the Tigers, along with former Missouri big man Jordan Butler, who only played four minutes. Outside of those two, they don't have a forward above 6-foot-8.

Guys like Mitchell and Pierce will always cause mismatches for opponents, but they were even more impactful against the Gamecocks.