On March 23rd, Missouri's Tigers fell to Miami 71-66 in their NCAA tournament matchup, but graduate student Jaden Stone stole the show with 21 points and 6 rebounds. Miami's defense lockdown star Mark Mitchell early, leaving Stone to carry the load and snap out of his late-season shooting slump. Stone had struggled through the end of conference play, watching his scoring average drop as Missouri headed into the tournament on a three-game skid. He wasted no time, hitting seven quick points right away and draining three three-pointers to keep the Tigers in striking distance.
Players and coaches praised Stone's smarts on the court, noting how he read the defense focused on Mitchell and found open looks for easy shots. His timely scoring sparked a 9-0 run that pulled Missouri within one point at halftime. In the second half, Stone kept pouring it on with eight points in the first five minutes, including a four-point play and even grabbed the lead late, but Miami's physical play and second-chance buckets fueled a final surge that sealed the win. Stone's big night highlighted his growth into a reliable score when it matters most, even though it couldn't extend Missouri's season.