Mizzou’s Tamar Bates makes a move with the ball as Drake’s Tavion Banks defends during Thursday’s NCAA Tournament first round game at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
| NCAA Men’s Basketball | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| #11 Drake (31-3) | 30 | 37 | 67 |
| #6 Missouri (22-12) | 23 | 34 | 57 |
Terrance Williams
Staff Writer
WICHITA, KS — The University of Missouri men’s basketball team’s 2024-25 season came to an end Thursday night, when the Tigers were defeated 67-57 by Drake in an NCAA Tournament first round game at INSTRUST Bank Arena.
Missouri held a brief lead in the early going, but trailed for most of the game. The Tigers lead 7-5, five minutes in, but Drake went on a 10-3 run to grab the lead. Then later in the half, after the teams traded baskets, the Bulldogs scored eight straight points to build a 10-point lead before halftime.
Drake built its lead to as many as 15 points in the second half before Mizzou began to mount a comeback.
The Tigers got back to within a point, at 52-51, but that was as close as they would get. The Bulldogs closed the game by outscoring Missouri 15-6 in the final four minutes.
Mizzou ended its season with a 22-12 record and having lost six of its final eight games.
Drake’s Mitch Mascari celebrates the final seconds of his team’s win over Missouri, Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
Drake is now 31-3 and will face Texas Tech in the second round.
The Tigers had a tough shooting night. They made just 33 percent of their shots and only four three-pointers.
Caleb Grill scored 14 points and Tamar Bates added 10. No one else on the Mizzou squad reached double figures in points.
Drake was led by Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Bennett Stirtz, who had 21 points and Tavion Banks, who came off the bench to score 15 points and grab a game-high nine rebounds.
Drake 67
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Stirtz,Bennett | * | 40 | 8-11 | 3-3 | 2-2 | 0-1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| 03 | Manyawu,Cam | * | 19 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 1-5 | 1-3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 22 | Mascari,Mitch | * | 40 | 2-8 | 1-4 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| 54 | Abreu,Daniel | * | 19 | 2-4 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 2-1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 04 | Jackson,Isaiah | * | 17 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 06 | Banks,Tavion | 25 | 5-11 | 0-0 | 5-10 | 4-5 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 15 | |
| 23 | Howard,Isaia | 17 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| 11 | Combs,Kael | 23 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 0-5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 25-46 | 5-10 | 12-24 | 9-22 | 31 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 3 | 13 | 67 |
Missouri 57
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Grill, Caleb | * | 35 | 4-10 | 1-7 | 5-5 | 1-3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 |
| 02 | Bates, Tamar | * | 30 | 3-6 | 0-1 | 4-4 | 0-1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 25 | Mitchell, Mark | * | 35 | 2-8 | 0-0 | 4-5 | 3-5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 12 | Perkins, Tony | * | 15 | 2-4 | 1-1 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 00 | Robinson, Anthony | * | 28 | 0-5 | 0-1 | 4-6 | 0-3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 05 | Barrett, T.O. | 11 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 01 | Warrick, Marques | 15 | 1-5 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 35 | Crews, Jacob | 12 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 11 | Pierce, Trent | 13 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 33 | Gray, Josh | 6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 15-45 | 4-16 | 23-26 | 8-18 | 26 | 20 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 57 |
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 | #1 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 | L 80-77 (10-2) |
| December 30, 2024 (Monday) | 6:30 p.m. | Alabama State | Mizzou Arena | Mizzou Arena | W 82-65 (11-2) |
| January 4, 2025 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Away | #2 Auburn | Auburn, Ala. | L 84-68 (11-3) |
| January 7, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | LSU | Mizzou Arena | W 83-67 (12-3) |
| January 11, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | Vanderbilt | Mizzou Arena | W 75-66 (13-3) |
| January 14, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Away | #5 Florida | Gainesville, Fla. | W 83-82 (14-3) |
| January 18, 2025 (Saturday) | 5 p.m. | Home | Arkansas | Mizzou Arena | W 83-65 (15-3) |
| January 21, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Away | Texas | Austin, Texas | L 61-53 (15-4) |
| January 25, 2025 (Saturday) | 5 p.m. | Home | #16 Ole Miss | Mizzou Arena | W 83-75 (16-4) |
| February 1, 2025 (Saturday) | Noon | Away | #14 Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. | W 88-61 (17-4) |
| February 5, 2025 (Wednesday) | 6 p.m. | Away | #4 Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | L 85-81 (17-5) |
| February 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Home | #10 Texas A&M | Mizzou Arena | L 67-64 (17-6) |
| February 12, 2025 (Wednesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | Oklahoma | Mizzou Arena | W 82-58 (18-6) |
| February 15, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 p.m. | Away | Georgia | Athens, Ga. | W 87-74 (19-6) |
| February 19, 2025 (Wednesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | #4 Alabama | Mizzou Arena | W 110-98 (20-6) |
| February 22, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. | L 92-85 (20-7) |
| February 25, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 p.m. | Home | South Carolina | Mizzou Arena | W 101-71 (21-7) |
| March 1, 2025 (Saturday) | 5 p.m. | Away | Vanderbilt | Nashville, Tenn. | L 97-93 OT (21-8) |
| March 5, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Oklahoma | Norman, Okla. | L 96-84 (21-9) |
| March 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Home | #19 Kentucky | Mizzou Arena | L 91-83 (21-10) |
| March 13, 2025 (Thursday) | 6 p.m. | Neutral | #10 Mississippi State | Nashville, Tenn. / Bridgestone Arena | W 85-73 (22-10) |
| March 14, 2025 (Friday) | 6 p.m. | Neutral | #2 Florida | Nashville, Tenn. / Bridgestone Arena | L 95-81 (22-11) |
| March 20, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:35 p.m. | Neutral | #11 Drake | Wichita, Kan. / INTRUST Bank Arena | L 67-57 (22-12) |