Mizzou’s Trent Pierce celebrates the Tigers’ season-opening win over Cleveland State on Tuesday. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

NCAA Men’s Basketball1st2ndFinal
Cleveland State (0-1)183250
Missouri (1-0)5655111

COLUMBIA, MO — The University of Missouri men’s basketball team began its 2026-27 season with quite a bang, as the Tigers connected on 14 three-pointers in an 111-50 victory over Cleveland State, Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena.

A raucous crowd of 10,089 watch Missouri earn its largest season-opening victory in school history. It was also the team’s second-largest margin of victory and tied for its second-highest scoring game under head coach Dennis Gates.

The Tigers are expected to be good this year and they looked every bit like it on opening night.

“It was just fun, first home game, being out there,” freshman guard Jason Crowe Jr., who was playing his first ever college game, said. “You know, we get tired of playing each other in practice and stuff like that. So finally playing a real game at Mizzou Arena, it felt great.”

Mizzou freshman guard Jason Crowe, Jr., makes a move against a Cleveland State defender in Tuesday’s season opener at Mizzou Arena. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

The game began with Missouri jumping out to a quick 15-0 lead, with Crowe making his first three-pointer and fellow freshman phenom Toni Bryant making two of his own.

From that point on, the Tigers just ran circles around the visiting Vikings, with Mizzou leading by as many as 38 points by halftime.

Crowe finished the night with a game-high 23 points, including four three-pointers. Bryant, a defensive dynamo, had 15 points, six rebounds, five blocks, and two steals.

“I think he’s special, man,” Gates said of Bryant. “Toni is a very special and efficient player. He doesn’t need the ball in his hand to sort of get in every category of the stat sheet. I think when you look at him making shots, that’s half the battle. But what he’s more proud of is his defensive effort, his ability to alter shots, not just block shots, but also his ability to rebound. He’s very versatile.”

Mizzou’s Nicholas Randall gets set on defense against a Cleveland State ballhandler during Tuesday’s season opener at Mizzou Arena. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

Five other players finished the game scoring in double digits for Mizzou, which Gates took as a promising sign.

That included senior guard Kennard Davis Jr. Gates said that during a film session earlier this week, he urged Davis to be more aggressive. Davis got the message, putting up 19 points, shooting 7-9 from the floor, and adding four rebounds and a steal.

“It was definitely an enjoyable moment, obviously, playing back at home,” said Davis, a St. Louis native. “I had my family here, but not only that, just playing in front of all the supporters and under a coach that I trust and who believes in me. So, it was great.”

“You know, Kennard Davis hadn’t come off the bench in a long time — probably since his freshman or sophomore year at Vashon (High School) or something like that,” Gates said. “But that just lets you know the type of unselfishness that we had and we have. So, we’ve got seven starters, I believe, and we’re going to have to continue to be unselfish for us to achieve our goals.”

Mizzou fifth-year senior Mark Mitchell makes a move with the ball during Tuesday’s season opener against Cleveland State. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

Mizzou will be in St. Louis for its next game, on Friday, when the Tigers will come to town to play the “Show Me Showdown” game against SLU. Opening tip at Enterprise Center is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

CLEVELAND STATE 50

#NameGSMINFG3PTFTORB-DRBREBPFATOBLKSTLPTS
1Rayvon Griffith*29:105 – 170 – 53 – 33 – 143020013
12Deandre Jones*27:336 – 110 – 01 – 25 – 383011013
0Jordan Lowery*27:272 – 81 – 30 – 00 – 11013025
9Curtis Stinson Jr.*22:401 – 40 – 03 – 40 – 11023015
5Alex Bruskotter*17:020 – 40 – 10 – 20 – 22010000
33Gavin Headings18:192 – 20 – 00 – 20 – 22231014
7Brandon White13:532 – 20 – 00 – 01 – 34401204
11Ogbe Uagboe19:111 – 61 – 40 – 00 – 11010003
3Micah Bays8:470 – 20 – 12 – 21 – 01022002
4Xavier McKinney3:140 – 00 – 01 – 20 – 00000001
15Braden McCruter5:250 – 00 – 00 – 00 – 00110100
2Owen Bronston, Jr.7:190 – 20 – 20 – 00 – 11001000
TEAM0:000 – 00 – 00 – 02 – 24000000
Totals200:0019 – 582 – 1610 – 1712 – 17291311144450

MIZZOU 111

#NameGSMINFG3PTFTORB-DRBREBPFATOBLKSTLPTS
5Jason Crowe Jr.*30:249 – 164 – 71 – 10 – 332221023
14Toni Bryant*19:505 – 73 – 52 – 23 – 363105215
25Mark Mitchell*24:234 – 51 – 22 – 22 – 3511011011
11Trent Pierce*19:245 – 101 – 60 – 21 – 342300311
15Bryson Tiller*24:405 – 80 – 10 – 02 – 792401110
4Kennard Davis Jr.26:577 – 94 – 61 – 21 – 341000119
1Jamier Jones17:115 – 70 – 03 – 50 – 552001213
7Trent Burns13:261 – 20 – 04 – 41 – 34210106
8Jordan Crawford2:381 – 31 – 30 – 01 – 01000003
0Cord Stansberry9:480 – 10 – 10 – 00 – 00100010
24Nicholas Randall5:010 – 00 – 00 – 01 – 01000000
2Aaron Rowe6:180 – 10 – 00 – 00 – 00221010
TEAM0:000 – 00 – 00 – 00 – 11000000
Totals200:0042 – 6914 – 3113 – 1812 – 3143182341011111

2026-27 MISSOURI TIGERS MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTVRadioResults
November 3, 2026 (Tuesday)7 pmHomeCleveland StateMizzou ArenaW, 111-50 (1-0)
November 6, 2026 (Friday)6 pmNeutralSaint LouisSt. Louis, Mo. (Enterprise Center)
November 9, 2026 (Monday)7 pmHomeSIU-EdwardsvilleMizzou Arena
November 15, 2026 (Sunday)1:30 pmNeutralMarquetteChicago, IL
November 18, 2026 (Wednesday)8 pmHomeAlcorn StateMizzou Arena
November 20, 2026 (Friday)7 pmHomeLe MoyneMizzou Arena
November 24, 2026 (Tuesday)8 pmHomeEvansvilleMizzou Arena
November 27, 2026 (Friday)3 pmHomeArkansas-Pine BluffMizzou Arena
December 1, 2026 (Tuesday)6 pmHomePittsburghMizzou Arena
December 6, 2026 (Sunday)4 pmNeutralKansasKansas City, MO
December 12, 2026 (Saturday)6 pmNeutralNebraskaKansas City, MO
December 18, 2026 (Friday)6 pmAwayIndianaBloomington, INFS1
December 20, 2026 (Sunday)6:30 pmNeutralIllinoisSt. Louis, Mo. (Enterprise Center)
December 22, 2026 (Tuesday)7 pmHomeChicago StateMizzou Arena
January 2, 2027 (Saturday)3 pmAwayArkansas*Fayetteville, AR
January 5, 2027 (Tuesday)8 pmHomeTexas A&M*Mizzou Arena
January 9, 2027 (Saturday)3 pmHomeKentucky*Mizzou Arena
January 13, 2027 (Wednesday)6 pmAwayTennessee*Knoxville, TN
January 16, 2027 (Saturday)12 pmHomeSouth Carolina*Mizzou Arena
January 19, 2027 (Tuesday)6 pmAwayOklahoma*Norman, OK
January 23, 2027 (Saturday)7 pmAwayVanderbilt*Nashville, TN
January 26, 2027 (Tuesday)8 pmHomeAlabama*Mizzou Arena
January 30, 2027 (Saturday)5 pmHomeOle Miss*Mizzou Arena
February 3, 2027 (Wednesday)7 pmAwayMississippi State*Starkville, MS
February 6, 2027 (Saturday)12 pmHomeTennessee*Mizzou Arena
February 13, 2027 (Saturday)11 amAwayFlorida*Gainesville, FL
February 16, 2027 (Tuesday)6 pmHomeOklahoma*Mizzou Arena
February 20, 2027 (Saturday)11 amAwayAuburn*Auburn, AL
February 23, 2027 (Tuesday)6 pmHomeArkansas*Mizzou Arena
February 27, 2027 (Saturday)5 pmAwayGeorgia*Athens, GA
March 2, 2027 (Tuesday)6 pmAwayTexas*Austin, TX
March 6, 2027 (Saturday)1 pmHomeLSU*Mizzou Arena
March 10-14, 2027TBDNeutralSEC TournamentNashville, TN

* – denotes Southeastern Conference game