The Missouri Tigers had yet to win at Rupp Arena since its opening in 1976, a stat they hoped to change heading into Wednesday’s matchup with the 9-5 Kentucky Wildcats. The Tigers looked to start out 2-0 in SEC conference after a win against No. 22 Florida, while Kentucky looked to rebound from a loss to No. 14 Alabama.
The Tigers set the defensive tone early, similar to their performance against Florida, despite star sophomore Trent Pierce still finding himself out of the starting lineup. The Tigers early offense was fueled by Jayden Stone and Mark Mitchell, who found ways to keep it close with the Wildcats early.
Despite various lead changes early, Missouri headed into the half up one, after a ¾ court length buzzer beater by Kentucky’s Otega Oweh. Oweh, who finished the first half with 13 points, led the Wildcats on many runs throughout the game, including Kentucky’s 11-0 run to start the 2nd half.
Mizzou’s offensive struggles continued into the 2nd half, with the Tigers unable to find a consistent offensive pace. The Tigers found themselves playing from behind at multiple points in the 2nd half. Kentucky was unable however, to establish a comfortable lead, with the Tigers trailing by eight with just five minutes remaining. Mizzou then found its scoring in a familiar face, in Jayden Stone. Stone, who scored five straight points to cut the lead to three, gave the Tigers life down the stretch with just 3:30 left in the game. He also hit four clutch free throws to secure the win for Missouri.
Despite the successful start for Missouri, many concerns still remain among fans of the program. After a 40+ point loss to Illinois, Mizzou is 2-0 in conference play. A lack of presence in the paint is still a looming factor for the Tigers, with no real center on the roster skilled enough to take the job. Missouri also faces a very familiar enemy, Free Throws. Players who have stuck with the program for multiple years such as star guard Anthony Robinson, still struggle with their free throw percentages despite being in year 3.
The Wildcats will look to earn their first SEC win, and turn around what has been the start to a disappointing season for fans of the historic program. Mark Pope, who has found himself closer to the hotseat than comfortable, looks to win his first conference game of the year against Mississippi State on Jan.10 at 8:30.
The Tigers will look to continue their stretch of good fortune in conference play against the Ole Miss Rebels. Ole Miss, a team who found surprising success in the NCAA tournament last year has found themselves winless in SEC play thus far, giving Dennis Gates and Missouri a chance to improve to 3-0 in conference games. That game will take place on Jan. 10 at 6:00 PM, from the Sandy and John Black Pavillion at Ole Miss.