Mizzou’s strong start lifts Tigers in win over the Gamecocks


By Aidan Johnson
COLUMBIA, MO — In their first meeting of the season, the Missouri Tigers Men’s Basketball team took down the South Carolina Gamecocks by a score of 81-70. 
Mizzou (9-2) moved to three wins and two losses in conference play and was led by strong performances from Jeremiah Tilman, Mark Smith, and Dru Smith. Tilman had the biggest night of any player in the game, racking up an impressive statline of 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks, and 2 assists. 
The game would not have been won though without the strong performances from Mark and Dru Smith as well though. The former shot 5 for 9 for 18 points over the course of the game, drilling 3 first-half 3-pointers, while the latter shot 5-6 for 16 points. 
South Carolina found themselves down 10-0 early on in the first half, but rallied to keep the game within striking distance down the stretch. The Gamecocks were helped massively by their bench, with Keyshawn Bryant contributing 19 points and Trey Anderson adding another 17. 
The story of the game though for South Carolina was their shooting percentage from everywhere on the floor. Over the course of the night, the Gamecocks shot 38% from the field, only 28% from three-point territory, and a measly 50% from the free-throw line. 
For the Tigers, the game is one that was a much needed win before heading into their next matchup later this week. Missouri will look for revenge as they take on the Volunteers from Tennessee in a game that will likely have both teams ranked within the top 25. 
Tennessee, currently ranked seventh in the nation, dropped a surprising game tonight against Florida, losing by over 20 points to their unranked opponent. They will take on the Tigers on Saturday in Knoxville, the second and potentially final matchup between the two teams this year. 
Edited by Emma Moloney

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