Mizzou dominates down low against South Carolina for second consecutive win, 78-59

One of the key stories of Missouri’s season has been missed chances. The Tigers saw multiple opportunities for road wins against struggling opponents slip through their fingers early in conference play, placing them firmly on the bubble heading into the back half of their SEC schedule.

After Mike Sharavjamts cut South Carolina’s deficit to 34-32 in the opening minute of the second half, building on the Gamecocks’ surge after Mizzou led by as much as 13 before halftime, it looked like the Tigers might again fail to capitalize on a chance to build some much-needed momentum.

But MU regained control of the contest over the final 20 minutes, recording its second straight win with a 78-59 victory over South Carolina. It’s the first time Dennis Gates’ squad has reeled off consecutive wins since recording back-to-back victories over Florida and Kentucky at the start of conference play.

Mizzou established, and retook, that control with a physically dominant performance.

The Tigers out-rebounded the Gamecocks 44-28 and recorded 16 second-chance points on their 16 offensive boards. 51 of MU’s points came from within the paint or the free throw line, where the team finished 21-of-3o on the day.

Mizzou also went 7-of-19 from beyond the arc, knocking down enough shots to create the spacing needed to go to work down low.

The Tigers paired a grinding offensive performance with a suffocating defense, holding South Carolina to its second-lowest scoring total of the season. That total also marked the lowest allowed by MU during SEC play this year.

The Gamecocks got back into the game late in the first half thanks to 11 Mizzou turnovers that led to 13 points. The Tigers turned the faucet off after halftime, recording just three more giveaways as they surged to the 19-point win.

MU retook a double-digit lead a little over five minutes into the final half on a layup by T.O. Barrett. Mizzou maintained at least a seven-point cushion from that point onward and pushed the margin to as much as 21 points as South Carolina faded away late.

Jayden Stone led the Tigers in scoring, finishing with 22 points on a 7-of-9 shooting mark that included three made triples. Mark Mitchell followed closely behind, recording a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Mizzou’s win lifts the team to a 16-7 record with a 6-4 mark in conference play.

The Tigers face one of their toughest tests of conference play Wednesday, when they face Texas A&M in College Station. That game will tip off at 8 p.m. and be broadcast on SEC Network.