Gholston, Tigers rally past Razorbacks, prepare for No. 4 Alabama

DeAndre Gholston may have hit Missouri’s two biggest shots of the night on Wednesday night in a 79-76 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Gholston shot lights-out in the final minutes, hitting a 3-pointer to tie the game at 67 and hitting a fading jumper through contact to tie the game back up at 71 just a minute later. His and the team’s clutch shooting performance helped the Tigers to an intense comeback victory.

“They were able to go on a 22-9 run, which I think ultimately led with our defensive stops,” Gates said. “D’Moi Hodge subbed in and we got five straight stops.”

Missouri trailed 67-57 with just under five minutes left in the game, with the Tigers’ mathematical winning probability dwindling all the way down to just 5.2%.

Following that point, Gholston scored seven of 14 points to help Missouri rally back into a 71-all tie before Missouri’s eight free throw makes on eight attempts carried the Tigers to a 79-76 win.

“I heard a lot of great voices. Great talking and great conversation between our players,” Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said. “They said ‘Don't panic, don't blink. It's a five-minute game.’ At that point, they did not pump the brakes. They didn't think twice.”

The win improved Missouri’s season record to 14-4, a far cry from last year’s 12-21 record for the Tigers under head coach Cuonzo Martin. After the hiring of Gates in March 2022, the Tigers retained just two full-time players from that squad – Kobe Brown and Ronnie DeGray III.

With Gates going 10 players deep in the lineup tonight, the seven transfers and freshman Aidan Shaw combined for 62 points, demonstrating the revitalization of the Tiger squad. Among those transfers is Gholston, who previously played against Gates during the coach’s time in the Horizon League at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee transfer eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career with his 16-point performance, finishing second on the Tigers in scoring to Brown’s 17.

“It means a lot to me, honestly,” Gholston said. “Big stage. My teammates and my coach believed in me. Reaching 1,000 points tonight was beautiful.”

The loss is a rebound for the Tigers, having dropped three of their last four games in Southeastern Conference play dating back to their prior road loss to Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 4.

The next test on the Tigers’ schedule comes on Saturday in a matchup against the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide at Mizzou Arena.

Alabama has won its past seven games, and coach Nate Oats’ squad enters Columbia with a 16-2 record and one of just two remaining undefeated records in the Southeastern Conference at 6-0. The Tide’s offense ranks 12th in the nation, while its defense ranks sixth.

“I have the utmost respect and I believe that Alabama is the number one country,” Gates said. “As it relates to the lessons, we'll have to watch film and debrief. I focus on us. I think we have to understand that at this point in the season, we have to do the things that we do well.

“That's what it's gonna come down to. You can't control the other team, the other locker room. But they're going to be prepared to play. Our guys will be prepared to play, and our fans will be prepared to support us.”