Mizzou’s Mark Mitchell makes a move for the basket during the TIgers’ win over SEMO on Friday. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

NCAA Men’s Basketball12Final
SEMO (0-2)513384
Missouri (2-0)464389

COLUMBIA, MO — After trailing for the five minutes of the first half and a good portion of the second, the University of Missouri men’s basketball team made several big baskets to re-take the lead and hold it to earn an 89-84 victory over Southeast Missouri State in a Friday night matchup at Mizzou Arena.

Senior forward Mark Mitchell led Missouri with 29 points, five rebounds, and three assists with his biggest bucket coming with 3:10 left, when he drove to basket for a layup, got fouled, and made the free throw as well, for a three-point play that gave the Tigers a 79-76 lead.

Making that free throw was especially significant because Mitchell had struggled at the free throw line earlier in the game. He had missed his first six attempts, before making the one that helped Mizzou get and keep the lead.

“I was struggling a little bit, but once I made the first one, I think I made every one after that,” Mitchell said. “I’ve got to be better.”

Mitchell made another big layup with a minute to go and added another pair of free throws with 47 seconds left that put the Tigers up six. They would close the game and win by five.

“Part of our scouting report was exactly how the game played out,” Mizzou head coach Dennis Gates said. “(SEMO was) going to take the punch and they were going to bounce back.

“What I personally loved was the fact that our guys, the conversations they had in the locker room at halftime in regards to those same messages, our guys bounced back. They showed a lot of heart and resilience against a tough team.”

Mizzou guard Sebastian Mack dribbles past SEMO’s Braxton Stacker during Friday’s NCAA men’s basketball game at Mizzou Arena. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

Robinson finished with 15 points, while Jayden Stone came off the bench and scored 14 points, and Sebastian Mack added 11 points.

“We’re learning that we can count on a bunch of different guys,” Gates said. “That’s going to be important for us throughout the year.”

Mizzou’s defense ratcheted up the pressure in the the second, forcing five Redhawks turnovers compared to just one by the Tigers over the first nine minutes after halftime.

An efficient shooting night lifted Mizzou to the win. The team shot 59.3 percent from the field and was 6-of-15 from the 3-point line.

That allowed the Tigers to overcome a sluggish start.

Mizzou looked like it might be headed for a comfortable win in the game’s opening minutes, starting the contest on a 12-0 run.

The Tigers forced three turnovers and recorded two blocks during that stretch while controlling the rebounding battle with a 6-1 advantage.

That dominance quickly went away. The Redhawks won the rebounding battle 33-30 and recorded nine second-chance points on 13 offensive boards.

“What I’m not happy about is those scrappy on the ball, on-the-floor rebounds that we wasn’t able to come away with,” Gates said, “whether it was Ant Robinson or Mark Mitchell or Luke Northweather, whoever it was, we wasn’t able to grab and secure.”

SEMO took a 51-46 advantage into the half, helped by many of the same issues that arose in Mizzou’s season-opener against Howard.

Mizzou’s Anthony Robinson goes for a layup against a SEMO defender in Friday’s NCAA men’s basketball game at Mizzou Arena. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

The Tigers are now 2-0 on the year. They will be back on the court on Sunday, when Mizzou will host VMI in a game at Mizzou Arena. Tip off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network.

SEMO 84

MISSOURI 89

##PlayerGSMINFG3PTFTORB-DRBREBPFATOBLKSTLPTS
25Mitchell,Mark*3112-140-05-112-351361129
00Robinson II,Anthony*374-91-26-71-343230315
12Mack,Sebastian*195-90-11-10-110000011
15Phillips Jr.,Shawn*213-50-01-41-45324327
14Porter,Jevon*191-20-01-20-22322013
17Stone,Jayden275-93-71-21-122231014
35Crews,Jacob191-31-32-21-45300015
45Northweather,Luke191-21-22-21-12110125
05Barrett,T.O.80-10-00-01-01111000
TMTEAM00-00-00-01-23000000
Totals20032-546-1519-319-213017131961089

2025-26 MISSOURI TIGERS MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTVResults
November 3, 2025 (Monday)6 pmAwayHowardWashington, D.C.W, 88-67 (1-0)
November 7, 2025 (Friday)7 pmHomeSoutheast MissouriMizzou ArenaW, 89-84 (2-0)
November 9, 2025 (Sunday)1 pmHomeVMIMizzou Arena
November 12, 2025 (Wednesday)7 pmHomeMinnesotaMizzou Arena
November 17, 2025 (Monday)7 pmHomePrairie View A&MMizzou Arena
November 20, 2025 (Thursday)7 pmHomeSouth DakotaMizzou Arena
November 25, 2025 (Tuesday)7 pmHomeSouth Carolina StateMizzou Arena
November 28, 2025 (Friday)1 pmHomeCleveland StateMizzou Arena
December 2, 2025 (Tuesday)8 pmAwayNotre DameSouth Bend, Ind.
December 7, 2025 (Sunday)12 pmNeutralKansasKansas City, Mo. / T-Mobile Center
December 11, 2025 (Thursday)7 pmHomeAlabama StateMizzou Arena
December 14, 2025 (Sunday)1 pmHomeBethune-CookmanMizzou Arena
December 22, 2025 (Monday)7 pmNeutralIllinoisSt. Louis, Mo. / Enterprise Center
January 3, 2026 (Saturday)7:30 pmHomeFloridaMizzou Arena
January 7, 2026 (Tuesday)6 pmAwayKentuckyLexington, Ky.
January 10, 2026 (Saturday)5 pmAwayOle MissOxford, Miss.
January 14, 2026 (Tuesday)6 pmHomeAuburnMizzou Arena
January 17, 2026 (Saturday)2:30 pmAwayLSUBaton Rouge, La.
January 20, 2026 (Tuesday)8 pmHomeGeorgiaMizzou Arena
January 24, 2026 (Saturday)1 pmHomeOklahomaMizzou Arena
January 27, 2026 (Tuesday)8 pmAwayAlabamaTuscaloosa, Ala.
January 31, 2026 (Saturday)2:30 pmHomeMississippi StateMizzou Arena
February 7, 2026 (Saturday)12 pmAwaySouth CarolinaColumbia, S.C.
February 10, 2026 (Tuesday)8 pmAwayTexas A&MCollege Station, Texas
February 14, 2026 (Saturday)7:30 pmHomeTexasMizzou Arena
February 17, 2026 (Tuesday)8 pmHomeVanderbiltMizzou Arena
February 21, 2026 (Saturday)3 pmAwayArkansasFayetteville, Ark.
February 24, 2026 (Tuesday)8 pmHomeTennesseeMizzou Arena
February 28, 2026 (Saturday)12 pmAwayMississippi StateStarkville, Miss.
March 3, 2026 (Tuesday)6 pmAwayOklahomaNorman, Okla.
March 7, 2026 (Saturday)11 amHomeArkansasMizzou Arena