COLUMBIA | Missouri’s starting five bolted to a 15-3 lead on overwhelmed Truman State.</p><p> Mizzou’s second five -- sophomores Miguel Paul, Marcus Denmon, Laurence Bowers and Steve Moore were joined on the court by freshman Michael Dixon -- hit the Bulldogs with a 12-2 scoring run in the next 3 minutes, 34 seconds.</p><p> And in other breaking news in a totally expected 96-33 season-opening exhibition basketball victory: The intro video for Missouri’s new basketball season is kind of catchy, winding up with bold exhortations to:</p><p> “Defend the Ball!”</p><p> “Defend the Arena!”</p><p> “Defend the Title!”</p><p> As in, well, the basketball; The Tigers did that, forcing 28 Truman State turnovers and picking up 20 steals. As in Mizzou Arena, where Missouri hasn’t lost a game since a 75-73 affair to Oklahoma State here on Feb. 26, 2008.</p><p> As in the Title, last season’s Big 12 Conference Tournament, which Mizzou won on the way to a 31-7 season that ended with a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.</p><p> Missouri took the floor Friday night without its top three scorers from that team: DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence. Carroll is playing with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, Lyons pro ball in Israel and Lawrence pro ball in Norway.</p><p> How well Missouri is going to transition from last season to this one likely will require more of a test than Truman State -- 6-21 last season and 1-19 in the MIAA -- could provide.</p><p> But Missouri - from starters J.T. Tiller, Zaire Taylor and Keith Ramsey (all seniors), junior Justin Safford and sophomore Kimmie English on down the roster - looked up to the task before a full student section and a half full (8,120 official attendance) at Mizzou Arena.</p><p> At the half, Missouri led 50-25.</p><p> At a time out with still 11 minutes, 54 seconds to play in the second half, Missouri was on a 23-4 scoring run. Bowers made it 25-4 seconds later with his 12th point to go with 10 rebounds. And seconds after that, Dixon scored his fifth basket of the game to extend the run to 27-4.</p><p> By the time Jarrett Sutton -- a walk-on newly rewarded with a scholarship -- got into the game with 7:28 left, Missouri’s second-half sizzle had lengthened to 32-5 with the Tigers up 82-30.</p><p> And with 3:42 left, Sutton and freshman reserve Tyler Stone each had five points for the Tigers, equal to the total of second half points by Truman State to that point.</p><p> The Bulldogs rallied back from that point, if you can call being out-scored 46-8 in the second half.</p><p> Bowers led Missouri in scoring (14) and rebounding (12). Tiller scored 13 points on five of six shooting. English, Safford and Dixon finished with 10 points each.</p><p> Missouri closes out its exhibition season with a game at 7 p.m. here next Friday against Northwest Missouri State.