It might have been less than forty degrees outside of Mizzou Arena, but Caleb Grill sizzling hot performance inside the building against Pacific could’ve melted ice.
Grill’s 33-point performance on 8-for-10 three point shooting against Eastern Washington was something to watch. The Wichita native nearly matched that feat against Pacific as Mizzou cruised to a 74-44 blowout victory on Friday night in Columbia.
“The confidence piece, every time I shoot, I think it’s going in,” Grill said. “I just gotta continue to take good shots and not take rushed shots, take what’s best for the team.”
When Josh Gray made his first collegiate three-pointer in three attempts, that was a tell-tale sign that this game would be a shooting based one for Dennis Gates’ squad. The defensive blueprint of producing turnovers through the use of zone defense, then getting out and running in transition worked like a charm for Missouri, forcing 11 Pacific turnovers to its two.
“I always told my team and coach that I was a good shooter at heart, they were sagging off a few times,” Gray said. I felt like I owed it to myself and my team when I got the ball. I just took it, and held my shot.”
From three point land, Missouri found a bulk of success shooting 14-of-29 from beyond the arc. 48 of its points came from the bench. The only player on the Mizzou roster to finish with a negative plus minus was center Peyton Marshall.
“The most important thing about this team, we have to remain unselfish. If we don’t remain unselfish,” Gates said. If we don’t remain unselfish, that is the one thing as a head coach I will continue to work on because that’s the one thing that can probably set us back.”
By the 16:06 mark of the second half, the two offensive spark plugs in Grill and Anthony Robinson had combined for 31 points. Robinson’s defensive intensity was consistent, finishing with three total fouls, a statistic that has been more common than not for him this season.
“Robinson, you see him increase his leadership,” Gates said. We know he’s a feisty defender but he changes the game with what he brings to the table but it’s just growth, our player development.”
Drawing lots of free throws has been a consistency for Missouri this season and this game was no different. The Tigers shot 17-of-23 from the charity stripe.
Overall, the rotational aspect of Gates’s lineup remained the same, and once again, guard Tony Perkins was out of the starting lineup due to injury. T.O Barrett, who’s been continuously seen shooting after the conclusion of games at Mizzou Arena, made his first appearance of the season in the last five minutes of the contest.
“In my career, this has been normal for me, as an assistant coach at Florida State where we were 12-13 deep, it gives you added insurance,” Gates said. “If you’re fighting for minutes, you’re not going to come out flat, you’re gonna look at it as if I have an opportunity to fight for minutes. The other guys, the added insurance, we can play multiple ways.”
Missouri will look to extend its winning streak to five against the 362nd ranked team in KenPom, Arkansas Pine Bluff on Sunday.
Grill’s 33-point performance on 8-for-10 three point shooting against Eastern Washington was something to watch. The Wichita native nearly matched that feat against Pacific as Mizzou cruised to a 74-44 blowout victory on Friday night in Columbia.
“The confidence piece, every time I shoot, I think it’s going in,” Grill said. “I just gotta continue to take good shots and not take rushed shots, take what’s best for the team.”
When Josh Gray made his first collegiate three-pointer in three attempts, that was a tell-tale sign that this game would be a shooting based one for Dennis Gates’ squad. The defensive blueprint of producing turnovers through the use of zone defense, then getting out and running in transition worked like a charm for Missouri, forcing 11 Pacific turnovers to its two.
“I always told my team and coach that I was a good shooter at heart, they were sagging off a few times,” Gray said. I felt like I owed it to myself and my team when I got the ball. I just took it, and held my shot.”
From three point land, Missouri found a bulk of success shooting 14-of-29 from beyond the arc. 48 of its points came from the bench. The only player on the Mizzou roster to finish with a negative plus minus was center Peyton Marshall.
“The most important thing about this team, we have to remain unselfish. If we don’t remain unselfish,” Gates said. If we don’t remain unselfish, that is the one thing as a head coach I will continue to work on because that’s the one thing that can probably set us back.”
By the 16:06 mark of the second half, the two offensive spark plugs in Grill and Anthony Robinson had combined for 31 points. Robinson’s defensive intensity was consistent, finishing with three total fouls, a statistic that has been more common than not for him this season.
“Robinson, you see him increase his leadership,” Gates said. We know he’s a feisty defender but he changes the game with what he brings to the table but it’s just growth, our player development.”
Drawing lots of free throws has been a consistency for Missouri this season and this game was no different. The Tigers shot 17-of-23 from the charity stripe.
Overall, the rotational aspect of Gates’s lineup remained the same, and once again, guard Tony Perkins was out of the starting lineup due to injury. T.O Barrett, who’s been continuously seen shooting after the conclusion of games at Mizzou Arena, made his first appearance of the season in the last five minutes of the contest.
“In my career, this has been normal for me, as an assistant coach at Florida State where we were 12-13 deep, it gives you added insurance,” Gates said. “If you’re fighting for minutes, you’re not going to come out flat, you’re gonna look at it as if I have an opportunity to fight for minutes. The other guys, the added insurance, we can play multiple ways.”
Missouri will look to extend its winning streak to five against the 362nd ranked team in KenPom, Arkansas Pine Bluff on Sunday.
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