COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri men’s basketball team set its 2022-23 regular season in motion with a 97-91 victory over Southern Indiana Monday night in front of 10.723 fans at Mizzou Arena. The win gives the Tigers a 1-0 start for the 22nd time in their last 23 seasons.
The victory also marked the first for Whitten Family Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Dennis Gates, as he was made his debut for the Black & Gold.
Senior Kobe Brown started his fourth-consecutive season opener and played up to his preseason all-conference selection. The senior forward secured his first double-double of the year with just over a minute remaining in the first half with a one-handed slam before finishing the contest with 20 points and 14 rebounds.
Plenty of more Tigers supplemented Brown’s performance with a balanced scoring rotation. In total, six Mizzou players cracked double digits in the scoring column, while 37 points came from the bench.
Missouri also played unselfish basketball to free up open looks with 20 assists, the most the Tigers have recorded since 2017. Senior Sean East II and graduate Nick Honor led the way with five dimes apiece.
It didn’t take long for Mizzou to get going offensively, opening with a baby hook from Brown on the opening possession to grab the early lead. In the first half, the Tigers shot 15-of-21 from inside the arc with Brown and Tre Gomillion each scoring in double digits in the opening period.
The first-half scoring effort allowed the Tigers to overcome hot shooting from the Eagles in the second half as USI made 14-of-17 triples in the final 20 minutes of action. Mizzou countered the late surge by posting 50 points of its own in the second half and only surrendering four turnovers.
TURNING POINT
The Tigers pounced on the Screaming Eagles early as Brown opened the proceedings with a basket on the opening possession and embarked on a 9-0 run. DeAndre Gholston and D’Moi Hodge added baskets during the stretch that put Mizzou in the driver’s seat with a lead it did not relinquish.
TOP TIGERS
• Brown posted the eighth double-double of his career, leading the Tigers in scoring and rebounding. The performance also counted as his eighth outing with at least 20 points.
• Freshman Aidan Shaw contributed nine points on 4-5 shooting in the first contest of his college career.
• East II added 12 points on 4-6 shooting and distributed five assists, while snagging two boards.
UP NEXT
Mizzou continues its season-opening homestand against Penn on Friday, Nov. 11, at Mizzou Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou Men’s Basketball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @MizzouHoops. Fans can also call 1-800-CAT-PAWS for tickets or buy online today!
