Mizzou Basketball Gets Back on Track, Wins Final Non-Conference Game

With Missouri football's Music City bowl win fresh on everyone's mind, men's basketball kept the wins coming back in Columbia.

Eight days after their Braggin' Rights loss to Illinois, the Tigers got back on track with a 82-65 win over Alabama State. They were without the services of Anthony Robinson II due to an illness, but they never trailed a single time and brought their record to a final of 11-2 in non-conference play.

Initially, the week-long break of action seemed to spell trouble for Missouri. It turned the ball over three times in the first four minutes of the game, playing sloppy offense that gave the Hornets some wiggle-room early in the first half. However, once it scored on three straight possessions from the 15:03 to 13:37 mark capped off by a Tamar Bates triple, that quickly evaporated.

The Tigers started to get the ball rolling, with Tony Perkins and Mark Mitchell each leading the way with eight points by halftime. As the clock ticked down, the lead only got larger, ending with a comfortable 42-24 advantage.

With 8:02 remaining, it even got a surprise: the return of Caleb Grill.

Since the neck injury he sustained on Nov. 27 against Lindenwood, Grill hadn't suited up for Missouri. But in the final game before SEC play begins, the senior came back to a warm welcome. He entered the contest by quickly making an impact on a couple of defensive hustle plays, and finished off his comeback with six points.

Grill might've struggled with 2-of-8 shooting from the field, but having his presence alone again was huge for the Tigers.

Throughout the night, defense was the key for Missouri. It swarmed Alabama State whenever it had the chance, holding the Hornets to just 39% shooting from the field. Though Robinson is typically one of its more impactful defenders, there didn't seem to be much of a drop-off for the Tigers.

Missouri had four players in double-digits, led by Bates' 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Consistent starters Mitchell and Perkins dropped 14 and 12 points respectively, while newcomer to the starting lineup, Trent Pierce, continued his recent hot-streak with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting.

It wasn't one of the more efficient offensive outings for the Tigers — shooting 9-of-29 on 3-pointers as a collective — but with the lead it carried on for most of the 40 minutes, the lower number didn't play much of a factor.

Aside from losses to Memphis and Illinois, Missouri took care of business in non-conference play. It avoided any serious upset unlike last season, and highlighted the stretch with a win over a top-ranked Kansas team at the time. With a strong couple months, it's in a good position to start competing with its SEC opponents.

Conference play beings at 3 p.m. Saturday for the Tigers, where they will take on Auburn (13-1) in Auburn, Ala.