COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men's Basketball defeated the Central Missouri Mules 80-56, Friday night at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers opened the second half with a surge, following a back-and forth opening half that saw the Mules head to the locker room with a one-point lead. Mizzou converted five of its first seven shots in the first five minutes of the second half, forced five turnovers and never looked back on the way to 24-point victory. The Tigers concluded their final pre-season tune-up with a 13-1 run in the last five minutes.
Freshman Kobe Brown starred in his Mizzou debut, leading the team with 12 points. Brown converted three treys, brought in five rebounds and dished two assists on the way to a 4-for-9 shooting performance.
TURNING POINT
Sophomore Javon Pickett opened the second half by scoring on three-consecutive possessions for the Tigers. Pickett posted seven points in under three minutes with a 3-point play, a dunk and lay-up in transition off a Central Missouri turnover. Mizzou then pushed out to a double-digit lead for the first time at the 16-minute mark, and cruised from there to the victory.
TOP TIGERS
- Freshman Kobe Brown poured in eight points in the first half, and finished the game with a team-high 12 points. Brown converted four times from beyond the arc.
- Sophomore Torrence Watson finished the game with 11 points, including two treys. Last year, Watson racked up double-figures 10 times, including 20-point contests against South Carolina (March 2) and Auburn (March 14).
- Junior guard Mark Smith finished in double-figures Friday night with 10 points, and pulled in a team-high seven rebounds.
- Redshirt junior Dru Smith appeared all over the box score in his Mizzou debut. Smith finished with eight points, grabbed two boards and notched a team-high seven assists while collecting six steals.
NOTES
- Mark Smith pulled in seven rebounds for the Tigers on Friday, five of which came in the first half. Smith finished second in rebounding behind Jeremiah Tilmon last season, and led all guards, averaging 5.2 rebounds per game.
- The Tigers forced 24 turnovers and converted 34 points off of turnovers.
- Eleven of the 13 Tigers who played in Friday’s contest were on the score sheet, while four players scored in double-figures.
- Mizzou outrebounded Central Missouri 35-32 on Friday night. Last season the Tigers outrebounded their opposition 23 times, posting a 13-10 record while doing so.
- In the final 4:38 of the contest, Mizzou posted a 13-1 run and finished the last 3:06 on a 10-0 run.
UP NEXT
Mizzou Men's Basketball opens the regular season next Wednesday, Nov. 6 against Incarnate Word at Mizzou Arena. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.
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