SACRAMENTO, Cal–13 years is a long time.
A very long time if you’re a Mizzou basketball fan.
But Thursday, the Black and Gold did something it hadn’t accomplished since 2010, win an NCAA tournament game.
Dennis Gates’ Tigers squared off with Utah State in the south region in Sacramento, California.
Deandre Gholston sets the tone, down the lane untouched and the finish, it’s 7-4 Tigers.
D’moi Hodge with the three pointer, Mizzou up 12-6, Tigers led by three at the half.
Second half, Utah State’s Dan Akin with the slam dunk, and the Aggies were in front 49-47.
But Mizzou immediately answers with Kobe Brown, spins to the rack, and the slam dunk, it’s tied up.
Then Brown with the three pointer, Mizzou in front 52-51.
Kobe Brown finished with 19.
Hodge finished with 23 points, including this three pointer, and Mizzou wins an NCAA tournament game for the first time since 2010, 76-65.
Mizzou will play Princeton in the next round, the Tigers upset Arizona.
“I’m not impressed because we’ve done it all year long. So I expected our guys to go out there and perform and execute the game plan and they did. To hold a great team to zero threes in the first half, may hats off to them. Our guys performed and did what they needed to do. We were able to off set some runs. Our guys didn’t panic, they didn’t blink at all. If these guys are happy, I’m happy,” said Mizzou coach Dennis Gates.
