A Buzzer-Beater and a Comeback: Missouri’s Unlikely Victory Over Florida

In a thrilling finish to the first half, Missouri men’s basketball found itself trailing by three points with just 15 seconds left. The Tigers were looking for a hero, and they found one in an unexpected place — Trent Burns. Known for his limited playing time this season, averaging just 5.9 minutes per game, Burns had never made a three-pointer in his collegiate career. But on Saturday, he delivered a buzzer-beating triple that tied the game at 39-39, sending the Mizzou Arena crowd into a frenzy.

The momentum carried over into the second half, and Missouri went on to secure its first major win of the 2025-26 season, defeating the defending national champion Florida Gators 76-74. Head coach Dennis Gates praised Burns’ shot, explaining that it was a result of strategic play and preparation.

“Jacob Crews ended up taking two men — his man and then Trent’s man, who was sagging, off the post on the high post area. And I knew they would leave him wide open,” Gates said. “We’ve seen him make that shot several times. The cat’s out of the bag now: he’s one of the better shooters [on our team], it’s just a matter of him getting reps.”

This victory marked a turning point for Missouri, as it secured its first top-25 and Quad 1 wins of the season after starting the year 0-2 and 0-3, respectively, in those categories.

“We played with confidence, we executed the game plan, and at the end of the day, our guys did not get discouraged — they were encouraged,” Gates said. “They allowed failure to get them better, they allowed public ridicule to get them better, they allowed Christmas break to get them better. They allowed me to get them better, and at that point, we took a step.”

Momentum Builds in the Second Half

Missouri started the second half strong, launching a 6-0 run to take a 45-39 lead. This was fueled by Anthony Robinson II, who put together one of his best performances of the season against the Gators. He finished with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting and added five assists. His contributions were crucial in keeping the Tigers ahead throughout the second half.

The Tigers extended their lead to double digits, 56-46, when Trent Pierce hit a three-pointer, prompting Florida head coach Todd Golden to call a timeout. This was a significant moment for Pierce, who returned from a lengthy injury absence and scored his first points of the season.

Jayden Stone also made a big impact, leading the Tigers early in his first start of the season. He recorded nine points and six rebounds, showing signs of his potential after being sidelined since November.

Florida Makes a Late Surge

Despite the lead, Florida refused to go down without a fight. The Gators launched a series of scoring runs, cutting the Tigers’ lead to 64-62 with 4:15 remaining on a Thomas Haugh jumper. Another key three-pointer from Haugh brought Florida ahead 65-64 with 3:37 left on the clock. However, the Gators’ comeback came too soon.

Trent Pierce quickly responded by putting the Tigers back ahead 66-65. He followed that with another three-pointer, moving Mizzou ahead by four with just over two minutes remaining. Pierce finished the game with 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting, including two key three-pointers, and five rebounds.

Anthony Robinson added another crucial moment, hitting a banked-in three-pointer that helped the Tigers maintain their lead. Jacob Crews also contributed significantly, grabbing rebounds and converting free throws. Despite going 0-for-1 from beyond the arc, Crews recorded 13 points and four rebounds with a perfect 9-for-10 performance from the free-throw line.

“I had looked at coach Gates and I was like, ‘What do you want me to do?’ He was like, ‘Shoot the ball, make the play.’ I looked at him again, like, ‘Alright, you sure,’” Robinson said about his shot. “And then, ‘Yeah,’ so I just went out there [and] shot it. I’ve been living right, that’s why it banked in.”

A Narrow Win and a New Beginning

Boogie Fland’s final attempt at the buzzer was off-target, sealing the narrow victory for the Tigers. With this win, Missouri improved to 11-3 on the season and 1-0 in SEC play.

Gates acknowledged the challenges ahead, noting that the SEC is a tough conference with many close games.

“I’ll continue to do the best that I can to continue to get our guys prepared for games, because this conference is going to be a tough, tough conference,” he said. “Night in, night out. This is a typical SEC blowout: a one possession win.”

Missouri will now travel to Lexington for its first conference road matchup against Kentucky on Wednesday. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN2.