FINAL: Missouri 76, No. 22 Florida 74

What Happened

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Point guard Anthony Robinson II scored 19 points, including a dagger, banked-in 3-pointer with 21 seconds to play, and Missouri upset 22nd-ranked Florida in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams Saturday night at Mizzou Arena.

UF point guard Boogie Fland missed a desperation 3-point attempt at a game-winning 3 from just inside half court as time expired.

Robinson, the junior transfer from Florida State, finished eight of 14 from the floor, grabbed eight rebounds, dished five assists, turned the ball just once and had a pair of steals. Senior forward Mark Mitchell had 14 points and guard Jacob Crews had 13, thanks to going 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. Florida was led by junior wing Thomas Haugh's 24 points. Junior forward Alex Condon had 14 points and five rebounds.

The Tigers, who by metrics played the easiest schedule of all 16 SEC teams through non-league play, shot 45.5% for the night and played the Gators even (37-all) at what they do best: rebound. UF shot 41.3% for the game, went 7-for-27 from the 3-point line (25.9%) -- including a mere two for 15 in the second half (13.3%) -- and finished with just an 13-11 edge on the offensive glass after coming in with the second-best offensive-rebounding team in the country.

After being up by eight in the first half and trailing by as many as 10 in the second, the Gators whittled away after intermission and managed to take a one-point lead, 65-64, on Haugh's 3-pointer with 3:35 to go. But guard Trent Pierce, playing in his first game after missing the first 13 with a lower body injury, scored the next two baskets; the first on a third-chance bucket and the second on a 3-pointer that quickly got his team back up by four. with 2:05 to go. UF, though, again made it a two-point game and had Mizzou in a late-clock situation, but that's when Robinson banked in a contested 3 from the top of the key for a five-point lead with 21 seconds left.

A 3-point play off a run-out layup by Haugh closed the margin to three with five seconds to go. UF fouled Mitchell, who missed both free throws, setting up Fland's heave that could have won the game. Instead, sophomore point guard missed his sixth 3 in as many attempts for the game to go with a season-best seven assists and just one turnover.

UF center **Rueben Chinyelu** chases a rebound Saturday night.

Turning Point

The last four-plus minutes of the first half and the start to the second. The Gators led by six inside five minutes to go in the opening period, but got outscored 10-4 the rest of the way. Mizzou picked up with a six-point run to start the second half that made it a 16-4 spurt over just under six minutes bridging the periods and turning momentum over to the Tigers.

Staggering Statistic

The Gators have lost five consecutive SEC openers, with their last win coming in the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season when UF opened with a 91-72 win at Vanderbilt on Dec. 29, 2021 in what was just the fifth game of the season.

Up Next

Florida (9-5, 0-1) will be back in Gainesville for its home SEC opener, a Tuesday night date against No. 23 Georgia (13-1, 1-0) and the annual O'Dome visit from former UF coach Mike White. The Bulldogs, who defeated Auburn 104-100 in overtime at home in their league opener Saturday, began the day leading the nation in scoring (99.0) and fast-break points per game (27.5). Missouri plays at Kentucky Wednesday night.

Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.

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