Three Takeaways from Mizzou Basketball's Comeback Victory Over California

Quick thoughts from the Tigers' come from behind victory over one of its toughest opponents to date.

Dec 3, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; California Golden Bears guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) shoots as Missouri Tigers center Peyton Marshall (21) defends during the second half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

In its first true test since game one against Memphis, the Missouri Tigers went to battle with the California Golden Bears in the ACC/SEC Challenge, resulting in a 98-93 victory. It was a tale of two halves and the Tigers had an explosive second that led them to victory.

By the time half-time came around, it looked like a loss in the fashion of last year's team was up next. A quick run to open up the second half proved everybody wrong and within minutes of the ball being inbounded, Missouri was back in the game. These efforts were due to Anthony Robinson II, an emerging sophomore guard for the Tigers. Alongside Tamar Bates, the two pushed the Tigers over the finish line first.

Missouri improved to 7-1 on the season after the victory. Here are three takeaways from the Tigers' important win.

First Half Struggles

The first part of the first half was fine. The second was not. With 3:37 in the half remaining, the Tigers trailed 36-33. Missouri was finding ways to score and for the most part, had contained the Golden Bears on offense. That final three-and-a-half minutes, however, couldn't have gone much worse.

During California's first-half run, the Tigers allowed nine points on triples, all of which came on consecutive possessions. Forward Mark Mitchell was the only Tiger to score, coming in the last five seconds of the half on a fast break dunk. In simple terms, Missouri did not score and California did.

Missouri played much sloppier in the final part of the half, primarily due to the defensive pressure the Golden Bears forced. It made the Tigers hurry on offense and make bad decision after bad decision. All the shots in the final three and a half minutes that the Tigers took were rushed and sloppy, with better options surrounding them. The shot selection significantly improved in the second half, but put them in a losing position in the first.

Bates and Robinson Lead the Offense

After a dull first half, Missouri was searching for offensive answers in the second. They found those answers in Bates and Robinson. Robinson finished the night with a career-high 29 points, shot by shot picking apart the California defense. His ability to find shots around the rim and create driving lanes got more impressive as the game progressed.

The most important part of Robinson's scoring performance was free throw shooting. He attempted 15 and made 13, both of which were career highs. There was nothing the Golden Bear defense could do to prevent him from scoring or getting to the free throw line.

Bates did most of his scoring in the second half as well, finishing with 15 on the night. He went on a heater midway through the second half, finding his mid-range shots and looks around the rim. He was one of three players who made a triple, going 1-for-5 from the perimeter on the night. The performance of both guards made scoring in other ways than the perimeter a realistic and reliable option, which is something the Tigers should consider falling back on.

Scoring At and Around the Basket

The Tigers shot 3-for-9 from the perimeter against California, the lowest total of any game by a significant margin. Led by Bates and Robinson, scoring from the perimeter just wasn't a priority. Fortunately for the Tigers, it didn't have to be.

Missouri shot 38 free throws, making 25. The Tigers' use of pump fakes and general ability to draw contact around the rim and get to the charity stripe might have been the deciding factor. The Golden Bears only shot 25 free throws but made 21, a much higher percentage compared to the Tigers. California was also much more reliant on the perimeter shot and the Tigers weren't.

Without senior sharpshooting guard Caleb Grill, it's clear the three-point shooting took a hit. He's the most efficient and best volume shooter on head coach Dennis Gates' roster and is currently sidelined with a neck injury. His presence is certainly missed offensively and whether the Tigers decide to fade away from the perimeter or not will be an interesting decision looking ahead.

Read More Missouri Tigers News:

Mizzou Comes Out on Top of California in Back-and-Forth Battle in SEC-ACC Challenge
Mizzou Guard's Aggressiveness Against California Leads to Career Night
Caleb Grill Ruled Out of Mizzou's Matchup vs. Cal on Tuesday