Mizzou’s Tamar Bates works around two defenders in a game earlier this season. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
Mizzou Basketball – Gameday Info
Game No. 6 – South Carolina State (2-3) at Missouri (3-2)
Date/Time – November 22, 2023 – 6 pm
Location – Mizzou Arena — Columbia, MO
Broadcast – SEC Network+
Live Stats – Mizzou StatBroadcast
Terrance Williams
Staff Writer
COLUMBIA, MO — The Missouri Tigers will look to get back on the winning track, Wednesday night, when they host South Carolina State at Mizzou Arena at 6 p.m.
The Tigers will still have a nasty taste in their mouth after suffering their worst loss in several seasons and the worst loss since Dennis Gates took over a head coach last season.
This past Sunday, Missouri lost on a last-second shot to previously winless Jackson State and the Tigers have been dying to get back on the court and rid themselves of that memory.
Perhaps the most troubling part of the loss was how it happened. Missouri shot the ball pretty well (49 percent overall and 38 percent from three). The Tigers outrebounded Jackson State 34-32. And they committed more turnovers, 18-13, but not an exorbitant amount more.
On most nights, Missouri would have won that game. But they went cold in the final minute — including three missed free throws — and got outscored 8-1. That’s how Jackson State was able to pull off the comeback and win.
Now, Missouri must turn the page and find a way to get itself right against a South Carolina State team that is 2-3 on the year and has lost three of its last four, including a 90-70 loss at Tulsa on Monday.
Players to Watch: Just about everybody on Missouri’s squad is a player to keep an eye on because it’ll be interesting to see how the Tigers handle coming off such a bad loss.
Senior Nick Honor had 17 points, including three 3’s, but he also missed one of the key free throws at the end that helped leave the door open for Jackson State’s comeback.
Sean East II led Mizzou in scoring in its first three games and hit the game-winner in the win over Minnesota, but he only took five shots and scored six points against Jackson State. It’ll be interesting to see how aggressive he is, coming off a slow night.
The Tigers will likely need better contributions from Tamar Bates, John Tonje, and Connor Vanover as well.
South Carolina State is led by junior Omar Croskey and freshman Mitchel Taylor. The Bulldogs’ backcourt duo average 13.0 and 12.0 points per game, while junior forward Davion Everett averages 6.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
Up Next: Mizzou will play the final game of its current homestand on Saturday, November 25, when it hosts Loyola for an 11 a.m. game at Mizzou Arena.
The Tigers will then go on the road to play Pitt in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Tuesday, November 28. That game will be televised on ESPNU.
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE BULLDOGS STARTERS
| Player | Yr. | Pos. | Ht./Wt. | PPG | RPG | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 Omar Croskey | Jr. | Forward | 6’7/215 | 13.0 | 3.3 | 6 |
| 2 Jordan Simpson | Jr. | Guard | 5’11/165 | 6.5 | 3.3 | 4 |
| 12 Mitchel Taylor | Sr. | Forward | 6’11/230 | 12.0 | 3.0 | 14 |
| 13 Drayton Jones | Jr. | Guard | 6’4/195 | 2.5 | 5.3 | 2 |
| 55 Davion Everett | Sr. | Forward | 6’9/255 | 6.5 | 9.0 | 4 |
MISSOURI TIGERS STARTERS
| Player | Yr. | Pos. | Ht./Wt | PPG | RPG | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Caleb Grill | Jr. | Guard | 6’5/195 | 8.8 | 6.6 | 5 |
| 10 Nick Honor | Gr. | Guard | 5’10/200 | 12.8 | 2.0 | 10 |
| 55 Sean East | Gr. | Guard | 6’3/175 | 14.0 | 2.0 | 10 |
| 35 Noah Carter | Gr. | Forward | 6’6/235 | 12.0 | 6.6 | 7 |
| 5 John Tonje | Gr. | Forward | 6’7/225 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1 |
2023-24 Mizzou Tigers Men’s Basketball Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 22, 2023 (Wednesday) | 6 p.m. | Home | South Carolina State | Mizzou Arena |  |
| November 25, 2023 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Home | Loyola | Mizzou Arena | |
| November 28, 2023 (Tuesday) | 6:30 p.m. | Away | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, Pa. |  |
| December 3, 2023 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Home | Wichita State | Mizzou Arena |  |
| December 9, 2023 (Saturday) | 4:15 p.m. | Away | Kansas | Lawrence, Kan. |  |
| December 17, 2023 (Sunday) | 4 p.m. | T-Mobile Center | Seton Hall | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| December 22, 2023 (Friday) | 8 p.m. | Enterprise Center | Illinois | St. Louis, Mo. |  |
| December 30, 2023 (Saturday) | 2 p.m. | Home | Central Arkansas | Mizzou Arena |  |
| January 6, 2024 (Saturday) | Noon | Home | Georgia | Mizzou Arena | |
| January 9, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6 p.m. | Away | Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. | |
| January 13, 2024 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | South Carolina | Mizzou Arena | |
| January 16, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6 p.m. | Away | Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | |
| January 20, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Florida | Mizzou Arena | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| January 23, 2024 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Away | Texas A&M | College Station, Texas | |
| January 27, 2024 (Saturday) | Noon CT | Away | South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | |
| January 31, 2024 (Wednesday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Arkansas | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 3, 2024 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Away | Vanderbilt | Nashville, Tenn. | |
| February 7, 2024 (Wednesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | Texas A&M | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 10, 2024 (Saturday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Mississippi State | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 17, 2024 (Saturday) | 7:30 p.m. | Away | Ole Miss | Oxford, Miss. | |
| February 20, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6 p.m. | Home | Tennessee | Mizzou Arena | |
| February 24, 2024 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Away | Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| February 28, 2024 (Wednesday) | 5:30 p.m. CT | Away | Florida | Gainesville, Fla. | |
| March 2, 2024 (Saturday) | 7:30 p.m. | Home | Ole Miss | Mizzou Arena | |
| March 5, 2024 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | Auburn | Mizzou Arena | |
| March 9, 2024 (Saturday) | 7:30 p.m. | Away | LSU | Baton Rouge, La. | |
| March 13-17, 2024 (Wednesday) | TBA | Bridgestone Arena | SEC Tournament | Nashville, Tenn. |