Oral Roberts went into its game against Missouri hoping to put an end to their losing record against Power Five schools. It could not.

The Tigers’ first-half firepower propelled the Tigers to their 800th win in program history with an 88-49 win over the Golden Eagles on Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers found early success behind the three-point line, taking several uncontested three-point shots to stretch the Golden Eagles defense. The Tigers’ early shot-making stunned Oral Roberts’ defenders and left questions about which Missouri players deserved consistent defending.

“I think we’ve got a handful of kids who can shoot the three-ball pretty well and we’ve got to be able to go inside out,” coach Robin Pingeton said. “If we can’t hit those perimeter shots, people are going to continue to clog it [the paint] up on us.”

Missouri went 10-22 on three-point shots and before the second half, the score went back and forth, as neither defense could string points together.

Missouri’s offense would soon hit its stride and never look back. Until the Tigers capped off the first half with a 13-1 scoring run.

Five Tigers hit double figures on Saturday, the first time since Nov. 5, 2019, that five players accomplished this feat in the same afternoon.

Pingeton noted that despite the positives, there was still plenty to improve upon before the Tigers begin Southeastern Conference play.

“These games right now, it’s not about the scoreboard, it’s about effort,” Pingeton said. “It’s about intensity, focus and 50-50 plays.”

Missouri, however, has had little on-court practice this week due to its busy schedule. The Tigers are in the midst of playing four games in seven days and have relied heavily on film as opposed to traditional practice.

This week was Missouri’s first week back following a 17-day hiatus after the whole team was forced to quarantine in late November. Now, as the team nears the holiday break, sophomore Hayley Frank prioritized her and her teammate’s mental preparation to get back into rhythm before the break.

“We’ve talked a lot about ‘don’t go on Christmas break early,’” Frank said. “Just stay locked in for one more day because we have a really good team in front of us and a good opportunity.”

The Tigers will be back in action in fewer than 24 hours when they host Southern Illinois at 12:30 p.m. Central Sunday.

_Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com_