Dennis Gates Reacts to Missouri’s NCAA Tournament Loss to Miami
St. Louis hosted a first-round NCAA Tournament matchup that ended Missouri’s season. The 10-seed Tigers fell 80-66 to seventh-seed Miami at Enterprise Center on Friday. The crowd was largely pro-Mizzou and noisy enough, Gates said, to be heard back in Columbia.
Game summary
Missouri rallied from a 10-point deficit to take the lead with under eight minutes left. Mark Mitchell buried a 3-pointer with 7:50 remaining. The Tigers held that edge for just over a minute before Miami responded.
Decisive stretch
Miami answered with an 11-0 run to close the game. Forward Malik Reneau accounted for five straight points. Guard Sheldon Henderson hit a wide-open wing 3 that quelled Missouri’s comeback.
Shooting and key statistics
The Hurricanes finished 11-of-24 from beyond the arc. That equates to 45.8 percent from three-point range. Missouri made 10-of-28 attempts from deep, or 35.7 percent.
Miami scored 26 points in the final seven minutes. The Hurricanes shot 60 percent in the second half, up from 30 percent in the first. Those splits proved decisive in crunch time.
Season context
This loss closed Dennis Gates’ fourth season in Columbia. Missouri reached the NCAA Tournament in three of his four seasons. Gates’ only March win remains the 2023 first-season victory over Utah State.
The Tigers finished the 2025-26 year on a four-game skid. The previous season saw them lose five of six to end the year. Missouri went 6-2 between Jan. 31 and Feb. 28 during the regular season.
Coaching perspective
Gates pointed to late-game execution and possession management as season themes. He noted the team rarely held leads in recent losses. In Friday’s game, Missouri led for roughly one minute.
Gates promised to dissect the campaign and accept responsibility. He defended his players and praised their commitment. He said the locker room “hurts” but that the players deserve respect.
What’s next
Miami advances to face the No. 2 seed Purdue in the next round. Missouri returns to Columbia to begin offseason evaluations. Filmogaz.com will follow developments and report further coach and player updates.
