The Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team defeated the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks for the first time since 2012 by a score of 76-67 in front of a sold-out Mizzou arena on Sunday. The Tigers senior guard Tamar Bates had a huge performance against the Jayhawks, scoring 29 points and collecting 5 steals. Mizzou swarmed Kansas players for much of the day and forced 22 turnovers from the Jayhawks. Mizzou was able to build up a 39-25 lead at halftime and extended the lead to as much as 24 points in the second half before the Jayhawks started to mount a comeback. The Jayhawks were able to pull within 63-65 with 2:20 remaining in the game after Kansas senior guard Dajuan Harris Jr. scored on a layup and shooting foul to complete a 3-point play. Tigers’ guard Mark Mitchell then drained his first 3-point shot on the next possession and Mizzou would go on a 7-0 run to take the lead for good. Mizzou and KU decided to renew their basketball rivalry in 2021, and the Jayhawks had won all 3 of the previous matchups with a 25-point average margin of victory. Unsurprisingly, Missouri fans stormed the court after the upset victory over the blue-blooded program. This was also the Tigers’ first win over a top-ranked opponent since 1997. After finally bucking the trend against the Jayhawks, head coach Dennis Gates has the Tigers at 8-1 and is hoping to make the NCAA tournament for the 2nd time in 3 years.
Kansas now has lost back-to-back road games after falling to Creighton on Wednesday night, which will likely lead to them dropping from their no. 1 ranking.