The Tigers’ 30-point-win over the Gamecocks is their largest in SEC play since 2013
No. 14 Missouri returned home on Tuesday, Feb. 25, taking on South Carolina in a battle of Columbia-native teams. The Tigers emerged victorious over the Gamecocks, winning 101-71.
Six Tigers scored double-digit points in the win, the first time ever in any SEC game. Missouri’s 101 points also marked the second time in program history the team scored triple digits against an SEC opponent. The first instance came earlier in league play against Alabama, where the Tigers reached 110 points in their win.
Graduate guard Caleb Grill knocked down two threes on back-to-back possessions. Grill then scored four more points, coming from inside the paint, quickly getting 10 points in less than two minutes. Grill led the Tigers in scoring, logging 22 points.
“Caleb brings a lot to our team energy…and you know, we feed off of that,” sophomore guard Anthony Robinson II said in the post game press conference. “You can see us getting steals and playing hard on defense and Caleb is the head of that.”
In the first half, Missouri scored 52 points, going 6-for-11 from beyond the arch. Grill led the Tigers in shooting from deep, knocking down two. Missouri finished the game shooting 11-for-19 on threes.
Early in the second half, Bates got Mizzou Arena roaring with a one-handed slam. Bates wasn’t the only Tiger catching some airtime, as Missouri scored 16 points off of dunks, a good chunk of its 50 points in the paint.
Late in the game, the Missouri faithful got fired up once again, as graduate guard and team captain Jeremy Sanchez took to the court for the first time in conference play. Sanchez was brought to Missouri by head coach Dennis Gates. Sanchez spent three years coached by him in Cleveland State from the 2020 to 2022 seasons.
“You heard the crowd,” Gates said in the post game press conference. “[Sanchez] has a story, he has an unbelievable, infectious personality within his team.”
Missouri returns to the court on Saturday, March 1 at 5 p.m. in Nashville, Tennessee, to take on Vanderbilt.
Edited by Killian Wright l kwright@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com