Missouri’s season in the SEC Tournament came to an end Thursday as the Tigers fell to Kentucky 78-72 despite rallying from a 16-point second-half deficit.
Missouri dropped to 20-12 on the season with the loss, while Kentucky improved to 21-12 and advanced to the tournament quarterfinals.
Senior Mark Mitchell led the Tigers with 32 points for the second straight game, matching his career high. Mitchell connected on 13-of-21 shots from the field and also led Missouri with seven rebounds.
Sophomore T.O. Barrett added 13 points while recording a career-high seven assists and three steals.
Kentucky took control during the first half with a 13-2 run after the game was tied at 20-20. The Tigers missed eight consecutive field goals during the stretch as the Wildcats built a 33-22 lead. Missouri trimmed the deficit late, but Kentucky still held a 38-29 advantage at halftime.
The Wildcats extended their lead to 53-37 early in the second half before Missouri mounted a comeback behind Mitchell. The Tigers went on a 20-7 run to pull within three points at 60-57 with just over eight minutes remaining.
Missouri eventually grabbed its first lead since the opening minutes after a 10-2 run capped by seven points from Mitchell and a three-pointer from Trent Pierce, giving the Tigers a 70-69 edge with 2:34 to play.
Kentucky responded quickly, however, scoring seven straight points after a foul sent the Wildcats to the free-throw line. The run proved to be the difference as Kentucky closed out the 78-72 victory.
Missouri shot 47.3 percent from the field and 5-of-13 from three-point range, while Kentucky finished at 49.1 percent overall and 6-of-21 from beyond the arc.
The Tigers will now wait to learn their postseason fate when the 2026 NCAA Tournament field is announced Sunday evening on Selection Sunday.
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