3 Takeaways From Mizzou's Thrilling Overtime Win Over Oklahoma

Thoughts from a hectic SEC game that ended in a Tiger victory.

Jan 24, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard T.O. Barrett (5) shoots against Oklahoma Sooners guard Dayton Forsythe (7) during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

COLUMBIA, Mo. — It took the Missouri Tigers an overtime period and two game-winning shots to take down the Oklahoma Sooners. 

The sights and sounds of pandemonium rang throughout Mizzou Arena when Trent Pierce and Mark Mitchell hit their game-tying and winning shots. The Tigers went on to win 88-87 in an overtime thriller, helping them to improve to 14-6 and 4-3 in conference play. 

It all started with the play of sophomore point guard T.O. Barrett. It was his first career start and he couldn’t have played much better. He was arguably the reason the Tigers won. 

There’s no reason to sugarcoat the win that Missouri just picked up. A loss to the Sooners would’ve meant trouble in terms of making March Madness a few months in the future. Suffering a third-straight loss would’ve done no favors for the Tigers. 

That’s not a concern now. 

Here are three takeaways from Missouri’s crazy and never-ending win over Oklahoma. 

Jan 24, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard T.O. Barrett (5) shoots during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Tigers have a new starting point guard

This was the first career start for T.O. Barrett in his college basketball career, and he absolutely made the most of it. He replaced Anthony Robinson II in the starting lineup and finished with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting, along with six rebounds and two assists.

Barrett’s 21 points are a new career high. It was previously 13 points, which he recorded earlier in the season against Auburn. 

For a good chunk of this game, the argument could be made that Barrett was the best player on the court for the Tigers. It felt like Barrett was in command of the offense and he showed clear vocal leadership skills while doing so. 

“I think he willed his team to a victory,” head coach Dennis Gates said following the win. “T.O. Barrett didn't blink, being able to come out and start a game.”

The decision to bench Robinson and insert Barrett seemed like it was in the cards. Over the last three games, Barrett had slowly replaced the minutes Robinson was earning. It may have thrown some fans off, but Barrett has rightly earned those minutes and a starting role. His outing against the Sooners proved that. 

If Barrett's starting is in the cards for the future, Dennis Gates and the Tigers are going to expect more of him. His aggression while attacking the rim was a step in the right direction, but he still turned the ball over four times and passed up open three-point looks. Barrett is still early in his development and his game is certainly trending in the right direction, but expectations for him as Missouri’s starting point guard are growing and his margin of error has shrunk. 

With all that being said, it now feels like Barrett needs to be on the court for the Tigers. He changes the way the offense operates as a passer and the pressure he put on the rim against the Sooner defense made a difference. When Missouri went on a cold streak in the second half, Barrett was on the bench. That’s not a coincidence. 

“I'm proud of myself for how I played,” Barrett told the media following the win. “Of course, (I) had some plays where I wish I could get back a few turnovers, just like that last turnover I had to Stone, but I just appreciate coach for not showing bad body language and still trusting me.”

Missouri's offense is stale once again

Jan 24, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers forward Mark Mitchell (25) shoots against Oklahoma Sooners center Kirill Elatontsev (15) and guard Nijel Pack (9) during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Missouri is due for a brutal offensive lull at least once a game. It came at a crucial time in its loss to Georgia, and it appeared again at around the 14-minute mark of the second half. Before a Mark Mitchell jumper at the 12:32 mark, the Tigers hadn’t scored in two minutes and 42 seconds, going 1-for-9 in that span. 

That quiet stretch allowed Oklahoma to push ahead by five points, which was its largest lead up until that point. Just about everyone in a white jersey looked confused during that stretch, with the Tigers talking to each other in the middle of play and palms being in the air. 

This has become a mainstay of the Missouri offense on a somewhat game-to-game basis. It usually starts with a lot of dribbling and not a lot of passing. It also looked like, in general, players were confused about which offensive set was supposed to occur. 

Part of the reason the Tigers went stagnant, again, was not having Barrett on the court to command the offense. Sebastian Mack and Robinson were in the game in his place. Barrett was an excellent offensive commander in this game, but the other two are more than capable of fostering some offense. That can’t happen when Barrett’s off the court. 

Luckily for the Tigers, Barrett, Mitchell and Jayden Stone came ready to play down the stretch. The trio combined for 66 points, which was around 75% of the team’s offense. The trio responded just how you’d want them to, but if that lull in the middle of the second half was removed, it may not have been a problem. 

Trent Pierce also came up clutch when it mattered, hitting a triple to send the game to overtime. That was his first make of the game after two misses. He probably needs to take more, but he came up when the Tigers needed him. 

Ugly shooting nights need to disappear, but clutch shots prevail

Jan 24, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Jacob Crews (35) drives against Oklahoma Sooners guard Nijel Pack (9) during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Simply put, it’s going to be hard to win games if a team shoots 28.6% from the three-point line, especially in the SEC. That was on 21 attempts, as well. It’s not that the looks were bad; they just weren’t going in. 

This was another instance of Missouri’s best shooters not making shots. Stone finished the game 2-for-8 from the perimeter, alongside Jacob Crews, who went 2-for-5. Robinson also finished 0-for-2. 

That being said, the Tigers made triples when they needed them. Mitchell and Pierce were clutch, which is really all that’s important with the game being done. 

“I was just thinking, we got to get a shot off, and there's only four seconds left. So while I was really trying to keep going, get downhill, maybe something like that, but I just seen that they build a wall,” Mitchell said following the win. “I was like, who's gonna shoot it? And when I made the shot, I was really in shock.”

The Tigers also kept up with an Oklahoma offense that never really stopped scoring in the second half and overtime. There were ugly offensive periods that set the Tigers back, but Missouri did find ways to get inside and to the free-throw line when perimeter shots weren't falling.

Missouri will hit the road for its next game, taking on the No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27.