Mizzou was 4-37 in road games vs. top-five teams before upsetting the Gators
Missouri earned its first road win over a top-five team since 2012 on Tuesday as it took down No. 5 Florida 83-82 in a physical slugfest in Gainesville that lasted more than two and a half hours and featured 60 free throws. The Tigers (14-3, 3-1 SEC) were a 10.5-point underdog but built a 19-point lead in the first half and held on to end a 16-game home winning streak for the Gators (15-2, 2-2).
Caleb Grill led the charge with six 3-pointers for Missouri, which used 12 players in the second half while withstanding a furious Florida charge. The Gators cut their deficit to one on a 3-pointer from Alijah Martin with one second left. But after leading 5-3 early, never took the lead again.
Grill hit four 3-pointers across a span of just over three minutes in the middle of the first half as the Tigers built their edge. The sixth-year senior finished with a team-high 22 points, including two massive free throws with five seconds remaining. Mark Mitchell added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Tigers.
The win moved Missouri to 3-1 in the SEC for the first time since it joined the league for the 2012-13 season. Though it was their first top-five road win in more than a decade, it marked the Tigers’ second victory over a top-five team this season after Mizzou took down then-No. 1 Kansas 76-67 at home on Dec. 8.
Missouri finished 11 of 29 from 3-point range while Florida hit 9 of 25 looks from deep. The result improved Missouri to 11-0 when making the same amount or more 3-pointers as its opponent.
The Tigers will host Arkansas and Florida will host Texas on Saturday
