No. 14 Mizzou hoops falls to Vanderbilt in overtime thriller
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (KMIZ)
In a game that kept Tiger fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish, the Vanderbilt Commodores found a way to upset No. 14 Mizzou in a 97-93 overtime win at Memorial Gymnasium, on Saturday night. With the loss, the Tigers drop to 10-6 in Southeastern Conference play.
Likely the biggest consequence of the loss to Vandy is seeding in the SEC Tournament, as Mizzou continues to play for a double-bye, which is only given to the top four teams. Head coach Dennis Gates and company came into Saturday's game tied with Tennessee for fourth in the league. However, with the loss MU dropped to fifth in the conference, now trailing the Volunteers.
It was an absolute slug-fest in Nashville, as there were a total of 15 lead changes and six ties in the Tiger loss.
A slow start for both teams offensively was fixed by Tiger standout Caleb Grill. The guard went on an 11-1 run against the Commodores, all on his own, early in the first half to get his team up by nine points. He ended the game with a team-high 28 points on three 3-pointers, which marks the eighth game this season he's scored at least 20 points.
However, it was a game of runs.
Mizzou had an opportunity to bury Vanderbilt early on, courtesy of that flaming hot start from Grill, but the Commodores responded with an 8-0 run of their own to make it a one-point game. The Tigers did manage to settle back in in the first half, thanks to guard Tamar Bates. He was the only other Tiger to get into double-figures in that first half, with 10 points.
MU took a nine-point lead into halftime, but the Commodores scored on their first two possessions out of the locker room to get back within striking distance of head coach Dennis Gates' crew. The game stayed close the rest of the way, as Mizzou could never quite shake Vanderbilt.
Grill got some more help in the second half, though. Forward Mark Mitchell led the charge with 14 points in the final 20 minutes, ending with 20 on the night. Guard Anthony Robinson also put forward a standout effort in the second half, as he scored 11 on his way to an 16-point outing.
Things looked pretty decent for the Tigers up 77-71 in the final minutes of action. But, once again, the Commodores stole the momentum away. Vanderbilt managed to force overtime in Nashville, courtesy of a deep three from Tyler Nickel to put everybody at 81 points apiece.
After that, the home team came out on a mission in extra minutes, taking their largest lead of the game over MU, as Chris Manon and A.J. Hoggard were unstoppable for Vandy. The duo ended with a combined 44 points in the upset of Mizzou.
Up next - Gates and company will hit the road one more time for a visit to Norman, Oklahoma. The Tigers will meet the Sooners for the second time this season on Wednesday, March 5. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
