Initial Reactions to Mizzou's 81-80 Win Over No. 19 Vanderbilt

Missouri On SI reporters give their thoughts on an action-packed Missouri win.

Feb 18, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates reacts to play against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half of the game at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri Tigers managed to pull out an 81-80 win over the No. 19 Vanderbilt Commodores after a series of wild twists and turns led the Tigers to another close game in the final few minutes.

Missouri Tigers On SI basketball reporters Joey Van Zummeren and Michael Stamps shared their thoughts on the important and impressive win, starting with the performance of a true freshman center and hitting on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The two also discuss what the win means moving forward for the Tigers.

The Tigers led by as much as 21 points in this contest, a mark that came with 8:41 to play in the second half. The Commodores, led by point guard Tyler Tanner, came all the way back and trailed by one possession with under a minute left.

All in all, it was a game of ebbs and flows. Missouri went on a monster run in the second half and Vanderbilt just happened to match it. The Tigers were a half-court make from Tanner away from losing a stunner, but, at the end of the day, they held on.

"I thought it was a game of runs. Obviously, we made a great run to respond to the opening portion of the game, and then in the second half, which gave us our largest lead. And I believe that lead was 21," head coach Dennis Gates said following the win. "Several guys played beyond their abilities and did some great things."

Leading Missouri in scoring was senior guard Jayden Stone, who finished with 19 points on 6-for-13 shooting, tacking on an additional seven rebounds. Sophomore point guard T.O. Barrett followed suit with 16 points on 3-for-10 shooting, adding five assists and two steals to his totals.

The Tigers got some quality run out of freshman center Trent Burns, who played a career-high 18 minutes. He finished with seven rebounds and a block along with three points, mainly leaving his fingerprints all over the glass and defensive side of the ball. With senior center Shawn Phillips Jr. in foul trouble, the Tigers needed someone in his place to step up. Burns was that guy.

After the win, Missouri improved to 18-8 on the season and 8-5 in conference play. With only five games left on its schedule, the Tigers just earned another resume-building win. There's more than enough time to continue to stack those, but losses can also be to their detriment.

Missouri can stack another win on top of this one at 3 p.m. on Saturday against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

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