'Players Make Plays': Mark Mitchell Helps Mizzou Defeat No. 5 Florida in Big Moment
Just 28 seconds remained on the clock when Missouri forward Mark Mitchell stepped up to the free-throw line in a crucial moment of Tuesday night's matchup with No. 5 Florida.
The Tigers only led 79-77 after the Gators closed a 50-34 gap from halftime, putting a potential upset in jeopardy. Mitchell, who hovered around 60% shooting from the charity stripe before the game, was not the most ideal option to be put in that position on the stat sheet.
Nevertheless, the junior rose to the occasion. The first free throw attempt? Good. The second? Just as good.
Missouri now led by four points, and the made free throws helped it close out a 83-82 upset victory on the road to bring its record to 14-3. A more high-pressure situation couldn't have been asked of Mitchell, but it didn't matter. The Tigers beat a top-five ranked team for the second time this season.
Maybe it was a risk percentage-wise to have Mitchell out on the court when free throws became the key, but coach Dennis Gates never thought otherwise. He's one of the top performers on the roster, and Gates had the trust in him to deliver.
"They tried to foul Mark Mitchell on purpose. I wasn't going to take Mark Mitchell out of the game, because at the end of the day, players make plays," Gates said. "I don't care what his free throw percentage is. He made plays and making two free throws in crunch time is making a play."
In 30 minutes of action, Mitchell finished the game with 15 points, eight rebounds and two assists on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. One of the few things holding him back this season has been free throws, but that became a strength instead.
With not much opportunity for centers Josh Gray or Peyton Marshall to see the floor, Mitchell served as a small-ball center for much of the night. Though he got into foul trouble — picking up four with over eight minutes remaining — he kept the same physicality on both ends and made some crucial plays.
Without Mitchell being a force in clutch moments, a huge win easily could've slipped through the grasp of Missouri.
Transferring out of Duke as the No. 7 player in the 2024 transfer class, Mitchell took a chance on the Tigers. They were coming off a winless season in the SEC, so not a whole lot of good things seemed to surround the program. But he bought into what Gates was building, and so far, that decision has paid off in 2025 for both sides.
"I know what (Mitchell) means to us. He knows what what he means to us. He knows what he means to me," Gates said.
Re-visiting previously made connections with Tamar Bates and Aidan Shaw before college has helped make the transition easy for Mitchell. He lets Gates push him in practice to the fullest extent, so that he can improve. Without him, this season would likely not be in the direction it is.
Ending the post-game press conference, Gates had one final emphatic message directed towards Mitchell:
"Mark Mitchell is one of the most versatile players in the country, and I'm thankful he chose Mizzou."
Read more Missouri Tigers news:
Freshman's Six-Minute Stretch Aids in Important Mizzou Victory Over Florida
Everything Dennis Gates Said After Mizzou's Win Over No. 5 Florida
3 Takeaways from Mizzou's Upset Over No. 5 Florida