Mizzou’s Jacob Crews (35) and Josh Gray double-team an opponent during the Tigers’ NCAA men’s basketball game, Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
| NCAA Men’s Basketball | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State (6-5) | 40 | 32 | 72 |
| Missouri (10-1) | 41 | 42 | 83 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
COLUMBIA, MO — The University of Missouri men’s basketball team fought off a tough challenge from Jacksonville State and earned its 10th straight win, Tuesday night in an NCAA game at Mizzou Arena.
Missouri trailed for most of the first half and for a good portion of the second, before rallying to defeat its visitors from Florida.
The Tigers were led by grad student senior Jacob Crews, who came off the bench to score a game-high 19 points, which included six three-pointers. Junior Mark Mitchell scored 18 points and added six reounds and six assists, while sophomores Trent Pierce and Anthony Robinson II contributed 12 points and 11 points, respectively.
Mizzou’s Jacob Crews celebrates making a three-pointer during Tuesday’s win over Jacksonville State at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. (Photo courtesy: Mizzou Athletics)
“(It was just) trust knowing the work you put in is going to come through,” Crews said. “And I’ve got a great support staff, my wife and the coaching staff and my teammates, for sure, every day just telling me ‘It’s gonna go in, it’s gonna go in.’ Just trust in them.”
Mizzou’s Mark Mitchell looks to make a play during Tuesday’s NCAA men’s basketball game against Jacksonville State at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
Crews came to Mizzou after playing at Tennessee-Martin previously, and had seen limited minutes in the Tigers’ first 10 games. But on Tuesday, on a night when no one on Mizzou seemed to have his touch, Crews came in and took over the game, as he knocked down a season-best six threes.
“We knew they weren’t going to drop off any screens or anything,” Crews said. “So we ran a bunch of, like, double (screens) and everything, knowing that they were either going to mess up a switch or drop or try to go under. And you know, we had plenty of shooters and threats that understood the game plan and we executed.”
One of the big moments of the game came after Jacksonville State took the lead, following a flagrant foul called on Crews when his attempt to block a shot wound up smacking a Jacksonville State player in the face. The Gamecocks made one of the two technical foul free throws, then added a slam dunk to go ahead 68-67.
But Crews responded by drilling a three-pointer that gave the Tigers the lead back. That bucket sparked a 13-0 Mizzou run, which helped make sure the Tigers never lost the lead again.
“It just goes back to understanding the scout, really,” Crews said. “We knew if we were going to drive the ball — and we’ve been very successful at it — that we were going to have kick-out 3s.
“And eventually, when you’ve got a player that gets hot — me, and anybody else that was out there on that floor that’s known, like Trent, and everything like that — like, it just leaves an opportunity for Mark to be physical down there, knowing he’s gonna get to free throw line. And trust me, he’s gonna do his job, and I’ll do my job. That’s pretty much how we executed.”
Mizzou’s Tamar Bates goes for a shot during Tuesday’s NCAA men’s basketball game against Jacksonville State at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
Mizzou’s 10-game winning streak is the third-longest active win streak for any Division I team in the country. And it is the first time the Tigers have had such a streak since the 2013-14 season.
Missouri is 10-1 overall on the season and will get a couple of days off before heading to St. Louis for one of its biggest games of the year — the annual Braggin’ Rights Game against Illinois.
The Tigers and Fightin’ Illini will play on Sunday, December 22, at Enterprise Center. Tip off is set for 12 p.m., and the game will be televised live on ESPN.
Jacksonville State 72
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | Pierre Jr.,Jaron | * | 38 | 7-17 | 2-7 | 2-2 | 1-8 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 11 | Franklin,Jamar | * | 28 | 5-8 | 4-6 | 1-1 | 3-2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 50 | Nicholson,Mason | * | 29 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 2-7 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| 04 | Brigham Jr,Marcellus | * | 22 | 1-6 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 03 | Cotton,Koree | * | 18 | 1-5 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Ituka,Jao | 15 | 3-5 | 3-3 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |
| 06 | Houge,Michael | 27 | 6-13 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 5-4 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | |
| 02 | House,Quel’Ron | 15 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 99 | Niagu,Iaroslav | 8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 27-60 | 9-22 | 9-13 | 16-23 | 39 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 72 |
Missouri 83
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Mitchell, Mark | * | 33 | 6-12 | 0-1 | 6-9 | 1-5 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 18 |
| 00 | Robinson II, Anthony | * | 33 | 3-7 | 1-4 | 4-7 | 1-3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11 |
| 12 | Perkins, Tony | * | 18 | 3-8 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 33 | Gray, Josh | * | 22 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 02 | Bates, Tamar | * | 21 | 1-6 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 35 | Crews, Jacob | 20 | 6-10 | 6-9 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | |
| 11 | Pierce, Trent | 28 | 3-5 | 2-4 | 4-4 | 3-1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | |
| 01 | Warrick, Marques | 16 | 4-6 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| 23 | Shaw, Aidan | 5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 04 | Allen, Marcus | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 | Marshall, Peyton | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 28-56 | 12-25 | 15-22 | 9-19 | 28 | 12 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 83 |
2024-25 Missouri Tigers Men’s Basketball Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV/Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 4, 2024 (Monday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Memphis | Memphis, Tenn. | L 83-75 (0-1) |
| November 8, 2024 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Home | Howard | Mizzou Arena | W 77-62 (1-1) |
| November 11, 2024 (Monday) | 6 p.m. | Home | Eastern Washington | Mizzou Arena | W 84-77 (2-1) |
| November 14, 2024 (Thursday) | 6:30 p.m. | Home | Mississippi Valley State | Mizzou Arena | W 111-39 (3-1) |
| November 22, 2024 (Friday) | 6:30 p.m. | Home | Pacific | Mizzou Arena | W 91-56 (4-1) |
| November 24, 2024 (Sunday) | 4 p.m. | Home | Arkansas – Pine Bluff | Mizzou Arena | W 112-63 (5-1) |
| November 27, 2024 (Wednesday) | 5:30 p.m. | Home | Lindenwood | Mizzou Arena | W 81-61 (6-1) |
| December 3, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6 p.m. | Home | California | Mizzou Arena | W 98-93 (7-1) |
| December 8, 2024 (Sunday) | Noon | Home | Kansas | Mizzou Arena | W 76-67 (8-1) |
| December 14, 2024 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Home | Long Island | Mizzou Arena | W 88-61 (9-1) |
| December 17, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6:30 p.m. | Home | Jacksonville State | Mizzou Arena | W 83-72 (10-1) |
| December 22, 2024 (Sunday) | Noon | Neutral | Illinois | St. Louis, Mo. / Enterprise Center |  |
| December 30, 2024 (Monday) | 6:30 p.m. | Alabama State | Mizzou Arena | Mizzou Arena |  |
| January 4, 2025 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Away | Auburn | Auburn, Ala. |  |
| January 7, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | LSU | Mizzou Arena | |
| January 11, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | Vanderbilt | Mizzou Arena | |
| January 14, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Away | Florida | Gainesville, Fla. |  |
| January 18, 2025 (Saturday) | 5 p.m. | Home | Arkansas | Mizzou Arena | |
| January 21, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Away | Texas | Austin, Texas | |
| January 25, 2025 (Saturday) | 5 p.m. | Home | Ole Miss | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 1, 2025 (Saturday) | Noon | Away | Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. | |
| February 5, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6 p.m. | Away | Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | |
| February 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | Texas A&M | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 12, 2025 (Wednesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | Oklahoma | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 15, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Away | Georgia | Athens, Ga. | |
| February 19, 2025 (Wednesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | Alabama | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 22, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| February 25, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | South Carolina | Mizzou Arena | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
| March 1, 2025 (Saturday) | 5 p.m. | Away | Vanderbilt | Nashville, Tenn. | |
| March 5, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Oklahoma | Norman, Okla. | |
| March 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Home | Kentucky | Mizzou Arena | ESPN or SECN |
| March 12-16, 2025 | TBD | Neutral | SEC Tournament | Nashville, Tenn. / Bridgestone Arena | SECN or ESPN |