Missouri men’s basketball gained an 82-53 victory over Lindenwood on Sunday.
In Missouri’s first two games against Southern Indiana and Pennsylvania, the Tigers shot the ball well but gave up almost as many points as they scored. Heading into its game against Lindenwood, Missouri honed focus on its defense and preventing three-point shots.
In Sunday’s game the Tigers did just that, limiting Lindenwood to a 5-24 3-point shooting performance. Senior guard Kobe Brown was the highlight for Missouri’s defense, making three steals and playing tight on his opponents with intensity. Lindenwood’s senior guard Chris Childs scored a season-high 19 points, but Missouri was able to limit the team’s productivity overall.
Offensively, Missouri did not shoot the ball particularly well with 29.6% of shots made from behind the 3-point line. Brown had six assists to pair with his 14 points, setting an example for the rest of the team by playing unselfish basketball. Missouri had 23 total assists, compared to Lindenwood’s five. Junior forward Noah Carter and senior guard Nick Honor were both standouts at the 3-point line for the Tigers, each making two and three shots respectively.
Senior guard and Missouri State recruit Isiaih Mosley received limited playing time again in the Lindenwood game. Mosley averaged over 20 points per game last season and fans expect him to have a huge impact on Missouri’s offense. Even though head coach Dennis Gates has not played him a ton, Mosley has shown that he can not only score the ball, but is also a great playmaker. During the first half, Mosley had an exceptional play on a fastbreak where he threw a well-timed lob to running senior guard Tre Gomillion.
Missouri’s tight early game schedule continued against SIUE on Tuesday and the Tigers will be tested against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 20. While the Tigers have not met the expectations of fans so far, the early season hope is to get comfortable before Southeastern Conference games begin.
Edited by Riley Gearhart | rgearhart@themaneater.comCopy edited by Emily Rutledge