No. 21 Missouri Defeats Mississippi State to Advance in SEC Tournament

Tamar Bates leads the Tigers with 25 points as they secure an 85-73 victory and prepare to face second-seeded Florida in the quarterfinals.

Missouri's Tamar Bates scored a game-high 25 points, with Tony Perkins adding 20, in their win over Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament's second round.
The Tigers overcame the loss of leading scorer Mark Mitchell to a first-half knee injury and a late-game push by the Bulldogs to secure the victory.
Missouri sealed the game with a 12-2 run in the final minutes, fueled by Caleb Grill's dunk and Aidan Shaw's defensive block.
Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard led his team with 24 points but struggled from beyond the arc, going 3-for-14 in a game where the Bulldogs shot just 36.4% overall.
Missouri will face No. 4 Florida in the quarterfinals, a team they narrowly defeated 83-82 earlier in the season.