Missouri men’s basketball defeated Cleveland State 86-59, advancing the Tigers to 8-0 on the season. This game was a reunion of sorts for Missouri head coach Dennis Gates, as it was his first time facing his former team since taking over at Mizzou.
The Vikings were without two of their three leading scorers, which explains their poor offensive performance. Still, the Tigers’ defensive performance stood on its own.
The Tigers led from wire to wire, coming out of the gates on a 23-0 run, holding Cleveland State scoreless for the first 8 minutes and 57 seconds of the game. Cleveland State didn’t record its first field goal of the game until the halfway mark of the first half, displaying a new level of defensive intensity that the Tigers haven’t shown thus far.
Cleveland State did find a bit of rhythm, outscoring Missouri 20-19 in the latter part of the first half. However, a second-half 3-point flurry from senior Jacob Crews gave Missouri the boost needed to pull out a victory.
Crews took care of business all night for Missouri, notching 20 points and eight rebounds. The senior guard continues to be a sharp shooter off the bench, shooting 48.7% from three on 5.1 attempts a game.
Junior Luke Northweather made an impact for the Tigers off the bench, recording 10 points and six rebounds. Northweather continues to provide Missouri with much-needed floor spacing from the center spot.
Redshirt freshman Trent Burns saw his second action of the year late in the second half and was scoreless in his six minutes of action, but did tack on two rebounds and two assists. His minutes will continue to increase as the season progresses and as he gets healthier.
“So right now, I’m just going to continue to listen to our doctors, our trainer,” Gates said. “We’re going to all listen to Trent Burns’ body to make sure we put him in the best situation possible.”
Missouri’s schedule will begin to ramp up in the following weeks, preparing them for the stretch of Southeastern Conference play. Although the Tigers haven’t been battle-tested quite yet, their confidence remains high.
“I think we’re ready,” Crews said. “The reason why is, I know how we practice. I know how the coaches prepare us.”
Missouri is back in action Dec. 2, taking on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
