Barrett's Career Night Lifts Missouri Over No. 22 Tennessee
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Tigers secured a crucial resume-building victory Tuesday night, upsetting No. 22 Tennessee 73-69 at Mizzou Arena. Guard T.O. Barrett delivered a career-best performance, pouring in 28 points to lead the charge and hand the Volunteers a significant late-season setback.
Tennessee stormed out to an early 12-2 lead, but Missouri weathered the initial punch and methodically closed the gap to enter halftime trailing just 29-26. The second half belonged to Barrett, who was unstoppable on drives and mid-range jumpers. He finished the night an efficient 12-of-17 from the field, doing all of his damage from inside the arc and at the free-throw line. Fellow guard Mark Mitchell added 23 points, as the duo combined for 51 of Missouri's 73 points.
The loss snaps a four-game winning streak for the Volunteers, who were led by Ja’Kobi Gillespie's 19 points and six assists. Nate Ament contributed 17 points, while Felix Okpara added 15 points on perfect 7-for-7 shooting. The loss drops Tennessee to 20-8 on the season, while Missouri improves to 19-9, significantly boosting its NCAA Tournament prospects.
QUICK HITS
- Kentucky Grinds Out Road Win: The Kentucky Wildcats ended a three-game losing slide with a much-needed 72-63 victory over South Carolina in Columbia. It was a defensive battle, with Kentucky holding the Gamecocks to just 21 first-half points. Denzel Aberdeen and Mohamed Dioubate provided key contributions to help the Wildcats regain control after South Carolina tied the game late. The win came despite Otega Oweh's double-digit scoring streak coming to an end.
- Sooners' Hot Shooting Downs Auburn: Auburn's first-ever men's basketball trip to Norman ended in a 91-79 defeat as Oklahoma caught fire from deep. The Sooners shot a blistering 68% from three-point range, making 13 treys to snap a three-game losing streak in the series.
- Run-Rule Tuesday on the Diamond: It was a day of offensive extremes for SEC baseball teams. No. 23 Texas A&M cruised to a 25-5 run-rule victory over Lamar in seven innings, piling up 18 hits and 14 walks. Conversely, Alabama baseball suffered a 14-4 road loss to No. 12 Southern Miss, with the game being called after eight innings due to the mercy rule.
- Mizzou Football Sets Opener: The Missouri Tigers announced their 2026 football season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff has been moved to Thursday, Sept. 3. The game continues a recent tradition for the program of opening the season with a Thursday night home game.
PORTAL WATCH
There was no new transfer portal activity across the SEC in the last 12 hours.
RECRUITING BUZZ
There were no new commitments to any SEC programs in the last 12 hours.