Threes finally fall for Mizzou’s Mark Smith, unlocking another one of Tigers’ weapons
The Mark Smith three-pointer went up as quickly as he got the pass on the inbounds play. It was midway through the first half as the Missouri men’s basketball team faced South Carolina.
The Tigers were looking to maintain their early double-digit lead but the Gamecocks had cut it down to a five-point game after a 7-0 run.
That’s when Smith’s deep shot went up. He was a few feet behind the arc, but it didn’t matter as he drained his first three of the night.
“It definitely felt good to see that first one go through,” Smith said. “I wasn’t really worried about anything else after that. If I was open, I was going to shoot it. Coach was telling me if I was open, shoot it. I felt like they were open shots when I shot them and they were going in.”
Mizzou’s starting guard finally found his shooting stroke after a quiet opening four games in SEC play, where he averaged 6.8 points per game. Smith finished with 18 points Tuesday in the Tigers’ 81-70 victory over South Carolina, but more importantly, shot 3 of 7 from three.
The Tigers (9-2, 3-2 SEC) had little trouble dispatching the Gamecocks in Mizzou Arena. It was a second straight blowout victory for MU. The Tigers sprinted out to a 10-0 lead, hitting their first five shots. They kept the Gamecocks (3-4, 1-2) at a comfortable distance the rest of the way.
“As a really good shooter, you’re not going to always get clean looks,” MU coach Cuonzo Martin said. “But you have to be ready to shoot the ball. ... Like we talk about: be ready to shoot then you attack off the dribble when it presents itself.”
Smith’s spirited shooting was coupled with a pair of noteworthy performances from his fellow seniors. MU guard Dru Smith posted his second straight scoring in double figures, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Mizzou has dubbed the starting guards the Smith and Smith duo, but it was a grind getting them going early in SEC play. They had no trouble putting together a complete effort Tuesday as the Gamecocks had no answer for them.
“There was nothing really different tonight,” Mark Smith said. “I knew eventually they would start falling. I just didn’t know what game it would be.”
Of course, one of the highlights of the game again came in the form of MU forward Jeremiah Tilmon, who’s been on a tear for the past few weeks. The senior scored 19 points and added 10 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the season.
It was a dominant effort — and not just because of the offensive numbers. Martin lauded Tilmon’s defensive ability, specifically when it came to guarding perimeter players because of the Gamecocks’ style. That’s just how effective Tilmon has been as the Tigers’ leader since conference play started.
South Carolina came into the game playing at one of the fastest paces in the nation. The Gamecocks played well defensively, too, but that quick pace was what made them dangerous.
Mizzou stood up to that task, featuring its own transition offense. The Tigers finished with 20 fast-break points as the Gamecocks were left trying to figure out how to stop MU’s many weapons.
“It’s just you want to get up and down and play, you want some excitement and the key is you have to continue to grow in that role and how you play that way, the pace you play,” Martin said. “You gotta still be tough defensively to get stops. You gotta try to play on both ends and play.”
Of course, there were still areas of improvement, Martin said. South Carolina finished with a staggering 20 offensive rebounds, which showed the Tigers had “plenty of work” left to complete. Missouri also turned it over 19 times, which has been a recurring season-long problem.
Mizzou has clicked on offense through its past two games after a 10-day COVID-19 pause. The Tigers have blown out inferior competition in Texas A&M and South Carolina, but the real test comes against No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Tigers’ worst loss of the season, 73-53, came at the Vols’ hands. They’ll get a chance to avenge that loss.
“It’s helpful,” Martin said of Mizzou’s fast start. “It gives you confidence, you make shots. And for some reason, when you’re making shots like that, your defense looks good.”