Border War score: Missouri basketball stuns No. 1 Kansas, wins Border War

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Columbia Daily Tribune
Border War score: Missouri basketball stuns No. 1 Kansas, wins Border War

Calum McAndrew, Columbia Daily Tribune · Columbia Daily Tribune

Sun, Dec 8, 2024 ·

13 min read

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Try and keep 'em off Norm Stewart Court.

Those Mizzou fans have seen the lows. The 0-and kind of lows. It's been 12 years since the last time they knocked off their most bitter rival. Who knows how long it will be until the next?

Those Jayhawks stormed back from 23 down to a one-score game. It felt like another Mizzou heartbreak.

Not Sunday.

Missouri basketball chased the No. 1-ranked Jayhawks back across the western border, feathers tucked, beating Kansas 76-67 in a stunner in Columbia.

The students didn't need an invitation.

With 14 minutes left on the clock, the Tigers had opened up a 23-point lead, and hope — a rare commodity in CoMo recently — hung in the air.

But this is Columbia, Missouri. When has it ever been that easy?

Kansas started inching back, picking, scraping and clawing. The Jayhawks held Mu scoreless for a period of 6:30 in the second half. By the two-minute mark, that 23-point cushion became two points.

How many times had the Tigers fallen short? How many times had heartbreak followed vulnerability?

Not Sunday.

Mark Mitchell cashed a rare corner triple to give MU a cushion., Josh Gray , as he had for plenty of the night, rose above preseason All-American Hunter Dickinson to get a massive board and draw a foul. Gray converted the free throws. Anthony Robinson II, up the other end, hauled in a long board and fed Tamar Bates under the rim.

Ballgame. Nine-point lead restored.

Jayhawks on the ropes.

Crowd itching to get on the floor.

Bates was a man possessed in the first half, finding a Jayhawk to remind after each and every one of his 18 first-half points and three steals. He started the second half in exactly the same fashion, picking a KU pass off like a well-schooled safety, tearing up court and finishing through contact.

Bates, a Kansas City, Kansas native, finished the game with a mammoth 29 points.

Beyond the star guard, the Tigers were ready to swing; ready to jaw; ready to grit and grind and run the Jayhawks down.

Mizzou forced the Jayhawks into 12 turnovers in the opening 15 minutes of the game, seven of which coming from steals. The Tigers were quicker to the perimeter than the Jayhawks were at getting their shots off. Kansas' errors stacked, turning the ball over 15 times — 10 of which by way of MU steals — in the first half.

It was, for most of the game, the perfect storm.

Who knows the next time this matchup will come to Columbia? The next two in 2025 and 2026 head to a neutral court in Kansas City. The series has not yet been renewed.

If this was the last one for a while, the Tigers left it on high.

They left it storming Stormin' Norm Stewart's court. Border War won.

Missouri basketball vs Kansas live score updates

This section will be updated when the game begins.

Kansas cuts the lead to 3

Apologies for sparing updates. The wifi in Mizzou Arena is failing us.

Kansas has cut the lead to three points. Mizzou once led by 23.

U12 timeout: Mizzou 57, Kansas 41

Missouri 57, Kansas 41. The Jayhawks have gone on an 8-0 run as Dennis Gates delved a bit deeper into his roation with freshmen Peyton Marshall and T.O. Barrett. The media timeout likely comes at a nice time for the Tigers.

MU football coach Eli Drinkwitz is here and leading a cheer, too.

Mizzou starts second as it ended first

Tamar Bates steal, break and layup. It's Mizzou 50, Kansas 30. Timeout on the floor. Mr. Brightside is playing. It is unlike much I've ever seen before in here. Electric.

Dec 8, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Tamar Bates (2) celebrates after a play against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Half: Mizzou 39, Kansas 25

Tamar Bates has been a man possessed with 18 first-half points. Josh Gray may be the 1st half MVP with 7 boards and a mighty showing vs Dickinson. Defense has 10 steals. KU has 15 turnovers.

It's all working. Mizzou Arena is jumping. 20 mins left.

It's all Missouri right now

KU did not score for more than four minutes. The Jayhawks had six turnovers in that same timespan. There is one team playing efficient basketball, and it is not the current No. 1 team in the country.

The Tigers briefly were doubling up on KU. Dennis Gates takes an excellently timed timeout with 2:45 to play in the first half on the other end of a slump breaking Jayhawks basket. It's MU 34, KU 19.

Tigers' defense is clicking

Kansas has now turned the ball over 11 times in the first half. Seven of those have been Mizzou steals. A behemoth defensive effort so far. The Jayhawks are 2-of-7 from 3 as Mizzou extends its lead to 30-17.

U8 timeout: Tigers' lead is 9

Hunter Dickinson is showing why he was a preseason All-American with a couple fierce blocks, but the Tigers, otherwise, are giving the Jayhawks the business. The defense has forced six steals already. The last one turned into an Ant Robinson dunk that nearly brought the banners down from the roof. Mizzou 26, Kansas 17. In Dennis Gates' dreams, I doubt they started this fast.

Mizzou 15, Kansas 7

Aidan Shaw steal, fastbreak, two-handed dunk and we've broken contain in CoMo. Tigers lead 15-7 as they force a stop at the other end.

Josh Gray has been a force on the boards so far, giving Dickinson a run for his money. He has six boards, KU, as a team, also has six.

Dickinson is leaning into the hostile atmosphere. He knocked down a 3 and gave the Mizzou student section finger guns as he made his way back down the court. It's loud, loud, loud in this building. 12:29 to play in the first half.

Mizzou roaring — literally — out of the gate

The Tigers have put together a fast start. Tamar Bates has been electric, knocking down a wing 3 and a mid-range 2, which he immediately followed with letting KU guard Zeke Mayo know all about as they made their way up the other end. Ant Robinson, a point guard, was called for a charged and started getting chippy with 7-foot-2 KU center Hunter Dickinson. It's Border War. It's loud. It's Mizzou 9, Kansas 4 at the first media timeout.

Here we go

The wi-fi has been problematic so far, but Border War is about to begin. They've played Mr. Brightside, announced the lineups and first tip is imminent.

Starters announced for Mizzou-Kansas

There's one change for Missouri, which is going with a starting five of PG Ant Robinson; G Tamar Bates; G Tony Perkins; F Mark Mitchell; and C Josh Gray.

On the Jayhawks side: PG Dajuan Harris; G Zeke Mayo; G David Colt; F KJ Adams; C Hunter Dickinson.

Can Missouri keep up 2-point efficiency?

Alright, enough atmosphere chatter — for now.

Missouri is currently the most effective 2-point shooting team in the country. That's going to be seriously strained with Hunter Dickinson manning the inside. Mizzou has not proven itself — without Grill — as a power from deep this season, so our guess is that they continue working the driving lanes and trying to find ways to the foul line. Can Dickinson and KJ Adams put a halt to that? That probably defines whether Mizzou stands a chance today or not.

One hour to go until Border War

11:05 a.m.:There is about an hour remaining until the 2024 Border War tips off. As it stands, Kansas is a 6.5-point favorite, according to the sportsbook BetMGM. The over-under for the matchup is 154.5.

Not-so-warm welcome for KU

10:52 a.m.:Here's one that will surely shock you all: The Kansas players did not exactly get cheered on to Norm Stewart Court. A healthy dose of boos from the nearly full student section. Players from both teams are now out on Norm Stewart Court for some early warmups.

Former Missouri forward Kobe Brown weighs in ...

10:41 a.m.:Former Missouri star Kobe Brown is keeping an eye on today's game.

The gates are open at Mizzou Arena

10:21 a.m.:Early injury update, although not one that was likely to impact the rotation: Mizzou freshman center Trent Burns will not play today because of a right foot injury, per a team spokesperson. The 7-5 freshman has not made an appearance this season, so there wasn't any expectation — injury or no injury — that was going to change today.

10:19 a.m.:Good morning from Border War. The doors have opened at Mizzou Arena, and the student section is filling up quickly with a little less that two hours remaining until tipoff. The entire lower bowl of the arena is draped with 'Beat KU' towels. As you'd expect, this is going to be a raucous. Missouri-Kansas, for the last time in the currently scheduled series, is on deck.

What time does Missouri vs Kansas begin?

Date:  Sunday, Dec. 8
Time:  Noon CDT
Location:Mizzou Arena in Columbia

Missouri's game against Kansas is scheduled to tip off at noon Sunday at Mizzou Arena.

Sunday is also when Missouri football will learn its bowl game destination. The College Football Playoff committee will choose its 12 team field, likely between 11 a.m. and noon during a live selection show on ESPN. The Tigers' bowl announcement could come at any point after that.

Tickets for the game in Columbia are currently available on StubHub, with prices starting at $63.

Missouri head coach Dennis Gates (left) and Charlton Young (right) communicate with their players during the Tigers' Border War game against Kansas on Dec. 10, 2022, at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.

What TV channel is Missouri vs Kansas on?

TV channel: ESPN2
Streaming:FUBO
Radio:  Sirius XM 374 / SXM App: 374

Missouri's game against Kansas will air live on ESPN2. Missouri alum Tom Hart will be the play-by-play announcer for the game, and Fran Fraschilla will be the on-air analyst.

The game is available to stream with FUBO.

Tiger Radio Network will air the game live with 'Voice of the Tigers' Mike Kelly as the play-by-play announcer and Chris Gervino as the analyst on satellite channel 374. Fans can also tune in via the Sirius XM app on channel 374.

Watch Missouri vs Kansas with FUBO

Missouri injury and availability updates

Caleb Grill will not play for Missouri on Sunday against Kansas. The guard sustained a neck injury in the Tigers' game against Lindenwood last Wednesday. He was taken to the hospital and discharged later that evening. On Monday, Gates said he is day-to-day.

"Caleb Grill is not going to play. He remains out. Any information out there that is talking about a timeline ain't true. It's not true," Gates told local media on Friday. "There is no timeline (that has) been discussed at all with doctors or even myself, and that information is not going to be out at that point. And it's not out, because … you cannot put a time limit on what took place."

Missouri vs Kansas prediction

Kansas 75, Missouri 66

Tuesday could prove to be an important game in the scope of Missouri's 2024-25 season. The 16-point, second-half comeback required a nigh-on perfect 20 minutes to get over the line. If you're a subscriber to momentum in sports, that type of half certainly could fall into that category.

But … it was still Missouri's first win over a high-major opponent in more than a year. Turning around and beating the preseason — and current, even if it likely won't last — No. 1 team in the nation seems like a tall order.

Kansas coming off a tough road nonconference loss at Creighton is worth monitoring, too. The Jayhawks don't often drop two in a row. Self's team will be ready to play, and whether Missouri can contain that this early into the season with a new-look team is a question we'll soon get an answer for.

We think the Tigers give them a game, but the visitors leave Mizzou Arena with the win.

Missouri basketball full 2024-25 season schedule

Home games are listed in bold.

Neutral-site game listed with an asterisk (*).

All times listed in CDT.

*Date (time)*	*Opponent*	*Location*	*TV channel* */ Result*
Nov. 4	Memphis	Memphis, Tenn.	Memphis 83, Mizzou 75 (0-1)
*Nov. 8*	*Howard*	*Mizzou Arena*	*Missouri 77, Howard 62 (1-1)*
*Nov. 11*	*Eastern Washington*	*Mizzou Arena*	*Missouri 84, EWU 77 (2-1)*
*Nov. 14*	*Miss. Valley State*	*Mizzou Arena*	*Missouri 111, MVSU 39 (3-1)*
*Nov. 22*	*Pacific*	*Mizzou Arena*	*Missouri 91, Pacific 56 (4-1)*
*Nov. 24*	*Arkansas-Pine Bluff*	*Mizzou Arena*	Missouri 112, UAPB 63 (5-1)
*Nov. 27*	*Lindenwood*	*Mizzou Arena*	Missouri 81, Lindenwood 61 (6-1)
*Dec. 3*	*California*	*Mizzou Arena*	*Missouri 98, Cal 93 (7-1)*
Dec. 8 (noon)	Kansas	Mizzou Arena	ESPN2
Dec. 14 (11 a.m.)	LIU	Mizzou Arena	SECN+
Dec. 17 (6:30 p.m.)	Jacksonville State	Mizzou Arena	SECN+
Dec. 22 (noon)	Illinois*	St. Louis	ESPN
Dec. 30 (6:30 p.m.)	Alabama State	Mizzou Arena	SECN+
Jan. 4 (3 p.m.)	Auburn	Auburn, Ala.	SEC Network
Jan. 7 (8 p.m.)	LSU	Mizzou Arena	SEC Network
Jan. 11 (2:30 p.m.)	Vanderbilt	Mizzou Arena	SEC Network
Jan. 14 (8 p.m.)	Florida	Gainesville, Fla.	ESPNU
Jan. 18 (5 p.m.)	Arkansas	Mizzou Arena	SEC Network
Jan. 21 (8 p.m.)	Texas	Austin, Texas	SEC Network
Jan. 25 (5 p.m.)	Ole Miss	Mizzou Arena	SEC Network
Feb. 1 (noon)	Mississippi State	Starkville, Miss.	SEC Network
Feb. 5 (6 p.m.)	Tennessee	Knoxville, Tenn.	SEC Network
Feb. 8 (2:30 p.m.)	Texas A&M	Mizzou Arena	SEC Network
Feb. 12 (8 p.m.)	Oklahoma	Mizzou Arena	SEC Network
Feb. 15 (2:30 p.m.)	Georgia	Athens, Ga.	SEC Network
Feb. 19 (8 p.m.)	Alabama	Mizzou Arena	SEC Network
Feb. 22 (7 p.m.)	Arkansas	Fayetteville, Ark.	ESPN/ESPN2
Feb. 25 (8 p.m.)	South Carolina	Mizzou Arena	ESPN2/ESPNU
March 1 (5 p.m.)	Vanderbilt	Nashville, Tenn.	SEC Network
March 5 (7 p.m.)	Oklahoma	Norman, Ok.	SECN+
March 8 (11 a.m.)	Kentucky	Mizzou Arena	ESPN/SEC Network
March 12-16	SEC Tournament	Nashville, Tenn.	TBD
March 18-April 7	NCAA Tournament	TBD	TBD

Missouri basketball team news

More: 'Not just a normal game': Kansas is coming, and Missouri basketball is leaning into rivalry

More: 'There's no timeline': Missouri basketball's Caleb Grill ruled out for Border War vs Kansas

More: How pair of underclassmen helped Missouri basketball stage comeback win over California

More: Missouri basketball score: Tigers stage big comeback, beat Cal in ACC/SEC Challenge

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This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Border War score: Missouri basketball stuns No. 1 Kansas, wins Border War

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