Missouri basketball guard Tamar Bates crashed the glass for a defensive rebound inside the final minute of the game, bounced a pass underneath an instant Ole Miss press to teammate Mark Mitchell and then didn’t bother turning up court for a breakaway.

A foul was coming, and an MU win was coming. Bates’ focus instead went to the limbs flying around in Mizzou Arena’s student section directly in front of him, and the guard began to flex his arms to fuel the frenzy.

While he tensed, the crowd in Columbia loosened.

Breathe out, Mizzou fans. And when you’re done exhaling, say a quick thank you to Bates and Caleb Grill.

Breathe out, because No. 24/22 Missouri bounced back from a midweek loss to knock off No. 16/16 Ole Miss 83-75 on Saturday at Mizzou Arena, and the Tigers are now 5-2 in Southeastern Conference play and well ahead of schedule for an NCAA Tournament berth.

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It’s no secret what Grill is capable of on any given day. He’s one of the leading 3-point shooters in the nation, and has shown as much in crunch time in multiple Mizzou (16-4, 5-2 SEC) games this season. Grill had 25 points and a 6-of-10 mark from 3 on Saturday.

And it’s no secret what Bates is capable of on any given day. He’s the engine that never seems to stop for this Tigers team, and a player that again is knocking on the door of a 40-50-90 shooting mark midway through the year. Bates had a game-high 26 points with an 8-of-13 mark from the field against the Rebels (15-5, 4-3).

Individually, they’ve each won games.

When both players have a hot hand like that? 

Well, let Ole Miss coach Chris Beard walk you through what that did to his top-10 ranked defense …

“It puts a lot of pressure on us defensively, because the other three guys on the floor are good players,” Beard said. “So it’s not one of these deals where we can just talk about those two guys. Missouri has real SEC talent. … “So, when two of your best players go 10 points over their scoring average or more, and the 3-point shot is like shooting our Nerf goal when I was a kid on the back of my bedroom door, it’s going to be hard.”

The Mississippi coach called Bates and Grill’s games “special performances” no fewer than seven times in his postgame press conference. Beard repeatedly called them two of the best players in the SEC.

That’s because the Tigers needed every ounce of the weight they pulled Saturday to get across the line and ease any lingering fan anxiety — especially after a slow night Tuesday in Texas — about the potential direction this season could go.

Mizzou never truly separated from the Rebels. 

Multiple eight- or nine-point MU leads were pulled back to five and four. The Tigers kept getting to the free throw line early in the second half, but they only made 50% of their opening 12 attempts. There were some careless turnovers, and a few Ole Miss triples that let some nervous air linger.

But for every shaky moment, there was a response from Grill or Bates.

When Ole Miss opened with an 8-0 run, Bates scored 10 points in 2:11 to help flip the lead.

When Mississippi point guard Sean Pedulla cut the once-12-point Mizzou lead to three with an arena-quieting triple? Fifteen seconds later, Grill played catch and shoot in the corner and let the sold-out crowd catch a breath.

When Missouri needed to drive the knife in, Bates scored eight points in 3:30 minutes in crunch time to provide the twist.

Grill converted a four-point play. Bates had a breakaway dunk off of his own tipped pass for a steal. The pair combined for a 11-of-11 mark at the free throw line, where Mizzou attempted an astounding 39 shots but the rest of the Tigers shot a combined 60.7%. 

“I think these guys have gone through so many battles that you kind of take it for granted what they bring to the table,” Gates said. “Look at the stress and how they handle it. Look at the situations and how they handle it. They handle themselves, and they lead in a way that I am very proud of.”

Without fail, the Tigers swatted Ole Miss back.

After its worst offensive output of the season in Texas on Tuesday, Missouri put itself back on track. 

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Gates’ team has not lost back-to-back games this season. The Tigers are 15-0 at home this season, and far importantly — 5-2 in league play. That puts Mizzou in a share for third place in the conference standings through seven games.

The conversation around Missouri and the NCAA Tournament is now more about seeding than qualifying. The Tigers likely need three more wins before the regular season is over to lock a Big Dance invite up.

Let Beard tell you … After what the visiting coach watched Saturday, those are coming.

Bates and Grill underlined that.

“Those two guys have those games on the same night together?” Beard said. “You know, Dennis will have some great evenings after games around here.”