3 Takeaways From No. 21 Mizzou's Second Round Win Over Mississippi State

The No. 21-ranked Missouri Tigers started their run in the Southeastern Conference Tournament Thursday night in Nashville, Tenn., on the right path, defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a 85-73 victory.

Though the score was tied up at 69-69 with 4:13 remaining in the second half, Missouri pulled away in the closing minutes to get the lead to double-digits. Even with an off-night for Caleb Grill — who finished with just five points on 2-of-11 shooting — the likes of Tamar Bates and Tony Perkins stepped up to take the reins of the offense.

The Tigers now move to the quarterfinals to face the No. 4-ranked Florida Gators at 6 p.m. — seeking to upset a favorite in the NCAA Tournament for the second time of the year.

Here are three takeaways from the first entry in Missouri's SEC Tournament path:

Bates Gets Aggressive

For the last two seasons, Bates has been one of the Tigers' most consistent go-to scorers. However, he's not always seen as the leading man, coming off eight and seven-point performances in his last two games.

With Anthony Robinson II dealing with early foul trouble — in addition to a couple of injuries plaguing Missouri — it was the prime opportunity for Bates to up his scoring aggressiveness. The senior finished the game with 25 points and four rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting, leading the way alongside Perkins' 20 points.

Mar 13, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Tamar Bates (2) drives to the basket against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Tigers easily could've spiraled out of sorts once it was announced Mark Mitchell would miss the entire second half, but Bates helped steer the ship. To get far in tournament play, his offensive output expanding needed to be the expectation.

Even going beyond Bates, key performances from Aidan Shaw and Josh Gray on the bench unit added a lot to Missouri's defense.

"Whether we've had somebody injured or not, we always emphasize being 18 strong," Bates said. "It wasn't anything new to us because that's just our mentality. That's who we are."

Dealing With Injuries

Losing their leading scorer and All-SEC third team player in the SEC Tournament was obviously a surprising challenge the Tigers had to face last night, even if they managed to come out with a victory.

Mitchell was only able to put up seven points in 12 minutes before being ruled out for the remainder of the game with a right knee injury. It's unclear if it will keep him out for any longer, but an extended period of time could affect Missouri's chances in the future.

"I don't even know what happened, to be honest with you," coach Dennis Gates said. "I'm saying that honestly. I just take and adhere to what our doctors and our trainers say. I don't question those individuals at all.

"Mark knows what he can and cannot do. He didn't want to put our team in a disadvantage if he's not at 100%. So at the end of the day, he trusted our substitutions and our depth, and he just didn't put himself back into the game."

Mar 13, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Mark Mitchell (25) dribbles the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

While Gray later returned, even he dealt with cramps throughout the contest that forced him to go to the locker room. The cramps kept him out for a brief period during the second half, but Gray still grabbed 11 rebounds on the day.

Foul Trouble Remains an Issue for Ant

A continuous problem for Robinson during his sophomore campaign has been getting in foul trouble — a trend he couldn't avoid against the the Bulldogs.

The guard picked up two fouls within the first 3:01 minutes of action, on back-to-back possessions no less. It rendered him borderline unusable for Gates for the rest of the first half, which affected both the offensive and defensive production of the Tigers.

Mar 13, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Anthony Robinson II (0) draws the foul on Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Claudell Harris Jr. (0) during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Once Robinson was able to play during the second half, he added six points and three rebounds to help Missouri get the eventual win. He finished the night with four fouls, but remained playable in the final stretch.

When Robinson isn't in foul trouble, he's one of the most valuable players Gates has at his disposal. But too often, the Tigers are forced to undergo long stretches without him. They'll need him at full capacity to make a deep run in the postseason, so it's area that will need to be closely watched.