Survive and advance.
That's the name of the game in March, and that's exactly what Mizzou men's basketball did Thursday night, securing a tough 85-73 win over Mississippi State in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
But it only gets tougher for the Tigers. No. 7 seed Mizzou will play No. 2 seed Florida with a spot in the Southeastern Conference semis on the line.
Mizzou hoops defeated the Gators in Gainesville back in January by a slim 1-point margin, one of the Tigers' three top-five wins this season. Since then Florida has been red-hot, winning 12 of their last 14 games and are currently ranked fourth in the country.
Missouri is going to need a big performance Friday night if is going to pull off the upset. The Gators have one of the best backcourts in the country in Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard. Clayton Jr. had 28 points against the Tigers in their last matchup.
It's unclear whether Mizzou will have its leading scorer, Mark Mitchell, for Friday's contest. Mitchell sat out the second half of the game against Mississippi State with an apparent right knee injury. Missouri head coach Dennis Gates has not given an update on the player's status.
It is possible that Missouri could rest Mitchell out of caution for the NCAA Tournament starting next week. If Mitchell were to miss, the Tigers will need to rely on their offensive depth that helped them take down Mississippi State.
Tipoff time between the Tigers and Gators is 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
If Mizzou beats Florida, they will take on the winner of Alabama and Kentucky in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday.
