Live Blog of Mizzou Basketball Against No. 22 Tennessee

Another loss in the Southeastern Conference could tip the scales for the 18-9 Missouri Tigers, who are still sitting on the bubble for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. They'll have a chance to earn a massive victory againist the No. 22 Tennessee Volunteers on Tuesday night inside Mizzou Arena.

A win against the Volunteers would fit perfect into the up-and-down pattern the Tigers have been following as of late. They haven't strung together more than tow wins, or losses for that matter, since defeating Texas A&M on Feb. 11. Since that point, every win has been followed with a loss and vice-versa.

If that pattern stands, the Tigers may have a chance to walk away with a win on Tuesday night. That won't be easy, however, given the brute physical force that Tennessee plays with. That may be the biggest challenge in facing the Volunteers.

"Not only do they have great height, they have great width, they have wide shoulders, they got wide hips, they got strength in those positions," Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said. "There's no doubt in my mind, if you look at the size of Jalen Carey, who we've played against, SEC experience, his width is more important than his height. There's not one big man, no matter how tall they are."

This will make the jobs of Mark Mitchell, Shawn Phillips, Trent Pierce and Trent Burns far more important, especially on the glass and on defense.

Follow along below for live updates for Missouri's matchup with the ranked Volunteers.

Live Updates

Second Half

6:55 - Missouri 56, Tennessee 52

After a goaltending committed by Shawn Phillips Jr., the Tigers have a shaky four-point lead. Triples are starting to fall for the Tigers, surprisingly at the hands of Anthony Robinson II. With his help, Missouri grew a lead as large as eight points.

12:11 - Missouri 43, Tennessee 43

If there's one takeaway from this game, it's that Missouri can play physical basketball. So far, they've responded to the Volunteer runs and have taken a few leads. Mitchell is finding his own in the paint and getting to the free-throw line and Barrett is also attacking the rim.

15:58 - Missouri 35, Tennessee 34

The Tigers once again are ahead after a triple from Trent Pierce and a Mark Mitchell layup, with the chance to add one more at the free-throw line. Missouri is really playing gritty basketball and is matching up as best as it can with the Volunteers, except for on the glass.

First Half

First Half Stats

HALF: Missouri 26, Tennessee 29

A five-point run from Ja'Kobi Gillespie catapaulted the Volunteers right back in front to end the half. He has 12 points at the halftime break.

0:58 - Missouri 26, Tennessee 24

After a dunk from T.O. Barrett, the Tigers have their first lead of the night. He has 12 points after that dunk and the Tigers are also getting some contribution from center Trent Burns, who has four points and five boards in some early action.

3:30 - Missouri 20, Tennessee 24

A triple from Ja'Kobi Gillespie of the Volunteers stopped a brutal scoring streak from both teams. Missouri got close, but proceeded that with a streak of seven-straight misses. That won't help get ahead of a talented defensive team like Tennessee.

6:58 - Missouri 18, Tennessee 21

Tennessee's turnover number has magically crept up to seven as the half nears its end. Tennessee looks much sloppier on offense, but is still maintaining its integrity on defense. That's preventing the Tigers from truly battling back, but they are getting close.

12:07 - Missouri 8, Tennessee 16

The Tigers have found a little rhythm on offense but are still allowing Tennessee to clean up on the offensive glass. The Volunteers have alread grabbed six offensive boards, but have only scored three second-chance points.

16:59 - Missouri 2, Tenenssee 9

Missouri has turned the ball over twice and allowed two offensive rebounds in the first three minutes of the game. That's likely not the start the Tigers were hoping for to get things started.

Pre Game

Starting Lineups

Missouri	Tennessee
G T.O. Barrett	G Ja'Kobi Gillespie
G Jayden Stone	G Bishop Boswell
F Trent Pierce	F Nate Ament
F Mark Mitchell	F Jaylen Carey
C Shawn Phillips Jr.	C Felix Okpara

Availability Reports

Missouri

G Annor Boateng (Leg, season) - OUT
F Jevon Porter (Leg) - OUT

Porter has been out for an extended period of time and that has not changed. It's not clear at the moment if or when he will return.

Tennessee

G Clarence Massamaba - OUT
F Cade Phillips - OUT
F J.P. Estrella - AVAILABLE

Estrella will play for the first time in two games for Tennessee against Missouri on Tuesday night.

How to Watch: Mizzou men's basketball against Tennessee

Who: Missouri (18-9, 8-6 SEC) vs. Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC)

When: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 8:00 p.m.

Where: Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri

TV: SEC Network

Radio: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly, Color: Chris Gervino)

SiriusXM: Missouri - 191, Tennessee - 380

Series: Missouri trails 10-13 and have lost the last two matchups by five points or less.

Last Time Out, Missouri: The Tigers fell to the Arkansas Razorbacks 86-94 on the road in Fayetteville, Arkansas, despite a combined 48 points from Mark Mitchell and Trent Pierce. Arkansas' five turnovers and strong free-throw shooting led to a strong offensive showing and victory over Missouri.

Last Time Out, Tennessee: The Volunteers defeated No. 19 Vanderbilt 69-65 following a second half surge. Tennessee found success on the glass and by controlling the ball effectively, ending the game with a 39-30 rebounding differential and nine turnovers.

Last Meeting: Feb. 5, 2025 - The Volunteers bested the Tigers 85-81, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Missouri Stat Leaders

Points: Mark Mitchell (17.2 on 53.4 FG%)
Rebounds: Mark Mitchell (5.5)
Assists: Mark Mitchell (3.8)

Tennessee Stat Leaders

Points: Ja'Kobi Gillespie (18.1 on 41.3 FG%)
Rebounds: Nate Ament (6.5)
Assists: Ja'Kobi Gillespie (5.3)