Missouri checked a lot of boxes in its 73-68 SEC win over Kentucky on Wednesday.
First-ever win at Rupp Arena. Check.
Hand the Wildcats their first loss in an SEC home opener since 2013. Check.
Start SEC play 2-0 for the first time since joining the conference in the 2012-13 season. Check.
The Tigers (12-3, 2-0) will try to keep their conference record perfect when they travel to Oxford, Miss. to take on Ole Miss (8-7, 0-2) on Saturday.
Kentucky led 66-58 with 4:37 left, but the Tigers went on a 15-2 run to pull out the historic win.
“They didn’t break during the moments where we could have,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates told the Columbia Missourian. “Whistle may not have gone our way, but our guys fought.”
Jayden Stone, who finished with 20 points, sparked the winning run with a dunk and a 3-pointer. Mark Mitchell, who led the Tigers with 21 points, hit the go-ahead jumper with 36 seconds left.
The Tigers came back by passing the ball and getting good shots, hitting 52% from the floor (27 of 52). Anthony Robinson II led the way with 10 assists and Mitchell had four.
“The chemistry has been better with, like, quick ball movement, shots (and) space for Mark and Ant to operate,” Stone told the Columbia Missourian. “It’s the mindset that’s been the real, key change.”
The Rebels are coming off a 94-87 loss to Arkansas Wednesday that kept them winless in SEC play.
“In every 40-minute game, there are four 10-minute games or 10 four-minute games,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said. “In several of those four-minute games, we played well enough to win. We just made too many mistakes, much of which is just self-inflicted.”
The Rebels, who scored 55 points in the second half, finished the game 50.8% from the floor (31 of 61). It was the fifth game this season they shot 50% or better.
Ole Miss had five players in double figures, led by Malik Dia and Ilias Kamardine with 16 points apiece. Dia leads Ole Miss with 14.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
“Guys were out there playing really hard,” Dia said after the Arkansas game. “We just need to keep playing hard and it will start to pay off.”
