Missouri’s Lob Shocks Texas A&M, Tennessee Survives Another Collapse
It’s that time of year in college basketball - when chaos comes standard and finishes get more dramatic by the night. Whether it’s a last-second three, a put-back at the buzzer, or a coast-to-coast heave that somehow finds the net, February is when teams start separating themselves from the bubble - or diving headfirst into it. On Wednesday night, Missouri delivered a finish that was as bold as it was unexpected - and it might’ve just saved their NCAA Tournament hopes.
Missouri Dials Up a Daring Lob - And Nails It
Missouri came into College Station needing a signature win, and they got it in heart-pounding fashion. A Quad 1 road victory at Texas A&M is exactly the kind of résumé booster Dennis Gates and the Tigers were looking for. But it didn’t come easy.
The game was a back-and-forth slugfest, especially down the stretch. In the final five minutes alone, the lead changed hands eight times.
Every possession felt heavier than the last. With just under 30 seconds to play, Texas A&M held a one-point lead after Zach Clemence knocked down a jumper.
Missouri had a chance to answer but came up empty - and that’s when Gates made his move.
Instead of drawing up a safe, high-percentage look from midrange or the perimeter, Gates went for the jugular. Out of a timeout with 25 seconds left, Missouri set up a lob - not the typical end-of-game play call, especially with everything on the line.
But it was executed with precision. Mark Mitchell lofted a perfectly timed pass, and Shawn Phillips Jr. rose up and hammered it home to give Missouri the lead.
Texas A&M had one more chance. They got a good look from three, missed it, snagged the offensive rebound, and called timeout. But out of the huddle, the Aggies couldn’t generate a clean shot, and Missouri walked out of Reed Arena with a thrilling 86-85 win - and a serious boost to their tournament chances.
This was a gutsy win for a Missouri team that’s been floating on the bubble. And make no mistake - that lob wasn’t just a highlight; it was a statement. Gates trusted his guys to make a high-risk, high-reward play in the biggest moment of the game, and they delivered.
Tennessee Nearly Lets Another One Slip Away
If you’ve been following SEC hoops, you know Tennessee has a bit of a habit - and not a good one. The Vols have built big leads, only to watch them crumble late. Kentucky fans, in particular, have seen it firsthand: Tennessee led by 17 in Knoxville and 14 in Lexington - and lost both games.
Wednesday night in Starkville, it looked like the Vols were about to add another collapse to the list.
Facing a Mississippi State team that’s struggled mightily in conference play, Tennessee looked like they were on cruise control. Up 63-40 with 10 minutes to go, the Vols seemed to have the game in hand. But then the wheels started to wobble.
Mississippi State ripped off a run while Tennessee went ice cold, missing nine straight shots. In the blink of an eye, that 23-point lead was cut to five. The crowd at The Hump came alive, and suddenly the Vols were in danger of letting another one slip away.
“We got to figure that out,” said point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie after the game. “I think the second half, we were just a little too passive and not being aggressive like we should when we get up.”
Luckily for Tennessee, they’ve got Nate Ament - and the freshman wasn’t about to let this one get away. Ament stepped up when it mattered most, scoring six quick points to halt the Bulldogs’ momentum and steady the ship.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough. Tennessee escaped with a 73-64 win.
Josh Hubbard did everything he could to pull Mississippi State back into it, dropping 31 points in a valiant effort. But for Chris Jans and the Bulldogs, it was another tough loss in a season that’s been full of them. Despite having one of the SEC’s most electric scorers, Mississippi State fell to 3-8 in conference play and 11-13 overall - a tough pill to swallow for a team still searching for consistency.
Takeaways
For Missouri, this win was more than just a highlight-reel finish - it was a turning point. A Quad 1 road victory in February can carry major weight come Selection Sunday, and the Tigers just added one in dramatic fashion. Dennis Gates gambled on a lob with the game in the balance, and it paid off in a big way.
Tennessee, meanwhile, keeps walking the tightrope. The Vols are talented - no question - but their tendency to take their foot off the gas with big leads is becoming a pattern. If they want to make a deep run in March, they’ll need to figure out how to close games with more authority.
One team made a bold statement. The other escaped with a sigh of relief. Welcome to February in college basketball - where every possession matters, and every night brings a new twist.