Missouri men’s basketball bounced back in dominant fashion, steamrolling Eastern Illinois 72-44 in its return home to Mizzou Arena on Tuesday following a disappointing road loss to Liberty last week.
It took awhile for either team to find their footing offensively, as the game stalled at a tally of just 1-0 for the opening 3 minutes. A single made free throw from junior forward Kobe Brown was the only point on the board.
Finally, junior guard Amari Davis converted Missouri’s first field goal of the night. From there, he never looked back.
Davis hit most of his open looks while the rest of the offense struggled to find the bottom of the net early in the first half, stepping up to take the wheel and attack the EIU defense. He finished the game with 15 points to lead the Tigers in scoring.
After the win, Davis felt confident that it would be a big help to the team as they enter the toughest portion of the year’s schedule.
“The way we played today was a huge confidence booster.” Davis said.
Davis had some help in the backcourt, as junior guard DaJuan Gordon also delivered a great performance in the team’s return to Columbia. The Kansas State transfer added 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in 23 minutes of play.
One of the game’s most memorable plays came with just under seven minutes left in the first half, when Gordon sprinted ahead on the break and leapt for an emphatic alley-oop finish assisted by freshman guard Anton Brookshire.
“Big dunks, threes and steals are big energy boosters, [for] the arena, fans and the team,” Gordon said.
Tuesday’s game also saw younger players earn more playing time, as freshman forward Trevon Brazile made his much-anticipated debut for the Tigers. His teammates seemed glad to have him on the floor, praising his attitude and commitment to the program
“Trev [has] been working hard everyday, coming everyday uplifting the team,” Gordon said.
Brazile, Brookshire, and fellow first-year guard Kaleb Brown filled the void in the rotation left by an absent Jarron Coleman. The redshirt junior guard missed the contest due to “violation of team policy.”
“He’s just not meeting [our] expectations.” head coach Cuonzo Martin said when asked why Coleman did not suit up against the Panthers.
Missouri plays what might be their most important game of the season on Saturday, as they travel to Lawrence, Kansas, for the renewal of the long-dormant Border War rivalry against Kansas. Tipoff is set for 2:15 p.m. on ESPN.
When asked if his approach would be any different for the game, Martin gave a simple answer.
“My job is the same: prepare the team to win a basketball game,” Martin answered.
Edited by Mason Arneson | marneson@themaneater.com