Mizzou comes alive late for 70-52 win over Morehead State; Hall of Fame Classic next
The win wasn’t especially pretty, but the Missouri Tigers pulled away in the second half for a 70-52 victory over Morehead State on Wednesday.
After producing their most balanced showing of the young season Monday, the Tigers (4-1) were hasty on offense at Mizzou Arena. They finished with 17 turnovers and shot 40.4%, including just 18% (4 of 22) from three-point range.
Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin dug deep into his bench Wednesday as 12 Tigers saw the court. Only eight recorded minutes Monday.
“I just felt like we didn’t play well offensively, not taking anything away from (Morehead State),” Martin said. “The execution part. I thought we settled again for easy shots.”
Mark Smith had his second straight standout game, scoring a season-high 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Dru Smith was only the other Tiger in double digits, with 11 points.
Ten Tigers scored in all, but forward Jeremiah Tilmon had a quiet night. The Eagles were physical with him in the paint and he finished with just five points and five turnovers.
Mizzou built an early 14-3 lead, but Morehead State clawed back during an 11-2 run, trading baskets and the lead for much of the first half. Not until a 9-0 Mizzou run right before halftime were the Tigers able to start pulling away for good.
Jordan Walker scored 14 points and Tyzhaun Claude added 10 for Morehead State.
Next up for Mizzou is the Hall of Fame Classic at Kansas City’s Sprint Center. The Tigers play Butler in Monday evening’s semifinals, then match up with Oklahoma or Stanford Tuesday in either the championship or consolation game.
“You have to defend, rebound and play hard when you’re playing these talented teams ...” Martin said.
This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 9:36 PM.