Marcus Millender’s old-school three-point play in the final heartbeat flipped a two-point deficit into a 74-72 road win, shoved No. 21 Georgia to 4-2 in the SEC and slammed Missouri’s perfect home record into the boards.
The Moment That Mattered
Georgia trailed 72-71 when Millender caught the inbound, attacked the left elbow and drew contact from two Tigers before the ball kissed glass and fell. The whistle confirmed the and-one; the free throw gave Georgia a 74-72 lead with 5.5 ticks left. Jacob Crews’ 30-footer at the horn grazed iron, and Mizzou Arena went silent for the first time since early December.
Box-Score Snapshot
- Marcus Millender: 18 pts, 5 rebs, 2 stls — game-winner plus the foul.
- Jeremiah Wilkinson: 14 pts on 6-9 FG, two late mid-range jumpers that stabilized the lead.
- Kanon Catchings: 12 pts, 3-6 from deep, ignited the 13-0 first-half burst.
- Mark Mitchell (Mizzou): 18 pts, 7-12 FG, but zero touches in the final 90 seconds.
- Jayden Stone (Mizzou): 13 pts, 8 rebs, 6 asts, only 2 turnovers.
Game Flow in 90 Words
Missouri’s 12-0 start at home meant nothing once Georgia ripped off 13 straight. The Tigers clawed back to 20-20, but neither side led by more than seven until T.O. Barrett’s three-point play made it 46-39 Mizzou with 15:16 left. From there it was a heavyweight trade: 9-2 Georgia, 10-2 Missouri, 10-1 Georgia. Crews’ corner three with 18 seconds looked like the kill-shot — until Millender answered.
Why the Win Reshapes the SEC
- Bracket seeding: Georgia moves to 16-3 (4-2), within half a game of first-place Tennessee and Alabama. ESPN’s live standings project the Bulldogs as a 4-seed if the tourney started today.
- Quadrant-1 résumé: Road victories over top-40 NET teams are gold; Missouri entered at NET 32.
- Mizzou’s cushion gone: The Tigers drop to 3-3 in league play and surrender the league’s last unbeaten home mark, denting their own NCAA at-large case.
Inside the Final Possession
Georgia coach Mike White emptied the sideline playbook: a 1-4 flat with Millender curling from the weak-side corner. Missouri switched everything, but when center Shawn Phillips Jr. hedged late, guard Jayden Stone was caught in no-man’s land. The contact was marginal, but the official had a clear view of Phillips’ hip bump — a call the SEC’s post-game officiating report later graded “correct, marginal degree of contact.”
What’s Next
Georgia heads to Kentucky on Saturday for a noon ET tip that could vault the Dawgs into sole possession of second place. Missouri, meanwhile, travels to surging Oklahoma to stop a two-game skid before the Tigers’ once-shiny NCAA profile dulls further.
Keep locked on onlytrustedinfo.com for the fastest, most authoritative breakdown of every buzzer-beater, bracket twist and bubble burst the rest of the way.
