Missouri picked up another key Southeastern Conference victory Saturday afternoon, holding off Mississippi State for an 84-79 win.
The Tigers improved to 15-7 overall and 5-4 in SEC play, while the Bulldogs fell to 11-11 and 3-6 in conference action.
Senior Mark Mitchell led Missouri with 19 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. T.O. Barrett added 16 points, finishing a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line, while also pulling down a career-high eight rebounds and dishing out four assists. Trent Pierce chipped in 13 points, knocking down three 3-pointers, and Jayden Stone finished with 11.
Missouri came out hot from deep, hitting five of its first six 3-point attempts to jump out to a 21-11 lead. Mississippi State responded with a 10-0 run to briefly take the lead, but the Tigers answered with timely shooting and carried a 42-35 advantage into halftime.
The Tigers opened the second half with a 7-0 run, capped by back-to-back dunks from Shawn Phillips Jr., to stretch the lead to 14. Missouri maintained a double-digit cushion for much of the half before Mississippi State mounted a late push, trimming the margin to three in the final two minutes.
Missouri sealed the win at the free-throw line, converting 10 of 12 attempts down the stretch. The Tigers shot 43.1 percent from the field, went 25-of-33 at the stripe, and recorded 15 assists while blocking seven shots defensively.
Missouri returns to action Friday, traveling to South Carolina for a noon tipoff on SEC Network.
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