Mizzou defenders Noah Carter (35), Aidan Shaw (23), and Tamar Bates (2) stop Pittsburgh’s Zack Austin from completing a slam dunk in Tuesday’s men’s basketball game at Pitt. (Photo courtesy: Pitt Athletics)
| NCAA Men’s Basketball | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri (6-2) | 38 | 33 | 71 |
| Pittsburgh (5-2) | 35 | 29 | 64 |
Terrance Williams
Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH, PA — The University of Missouri men’s basketball team picked up its third straight win and second road victory of the season, Tuesday night, when it defeated host Pittsburgh, 71-64, in an inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge game at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center.
The Tigers trailed early, but took control late in the first half to gain the lead, then never let go, in what proved to be a hard-fought win in a game between two teams that both made the NCAA Tournament last season.
“I challenged our guys to come out and play 40 minutes of basketball. And they answered that expectation,” Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said. “Sometimes you want to see that competitive edge, you want to see that spirit, that fight. And I thought our guys responded in a certain way.”
Mizzou’s response was a strong one. The Tigers had four players score in double figures and outrebounded the burly Panthers 36-33, while also limiting themselves to just 10 turnovers and blocking four Pittsburgh shots.
Senior Sean East led Mizzou with 21 points. He also had five rebounds, four assists, and a steal. Fellow senior Noah Carter had 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Junior Tamar Bates, who made just his second start of the season, scored 12 points, while senior Caleb Grill came off the bench to add 10 points and five rebounds.
The idea to change the starting lineup actually came from East, who suggested to Gates that the Tigers try a smaller, quicker lineup that could apply more ball pressure to a Pittsburgh team that didn’t seem to handle pressure well in its previous games.
“We kind of watched the film on them on them and, you know, they kind of struggled a little bit with pressure,” East said. “So we wanted to bring our pressure that we bring every day to them and see how they would handle it.”
In the early going, the Panthers didn’t seem bothered by Missouri’s pressure and were able to build a 29-23 lead with just under six minutes left in the first half. But in that final five minutes, that’s when Mizzou was able to take control of the game.
The Tigers closed the half with a 15-6 run, powered by a set of buckets by Carter, East, and Bates, that gave Mizzou a 38-35 halftime lead.
In the second half, Missouri’s defense held Pittsburgh to just six made baskets, including a stretch of nearly 12 minutes, where the Panthers made just two of 13 shots. The Tigers were able to build their lead to 10 points, following a three-pointer by East and a spectacular alley-oop dunk thrown by East to Aidan Shaw that made the score 64-54.
“That’s the expectation that I have for my players, to be able to give me suggestions,” Gates said. “I truly believe the game was won with their internal leadership. I mean, I’m the head coach, I understand that, the staff does the scouts, we all put our two cents in. But our players won that basketball game. And I credit them their focus, and obviously, their connectivity in doing so.”
The Panthers did get as close as 64-62, but Mizzou finished the game with a layup by Grill, a dunk by Connor Vanover, and three clutch free throws by East to make sure the Tigers didn’t lose the lead.
“That was a tough game,” Gates said. “That was an unbelievable game and we had our backs against the wall. And I’m just proud of our guys for coming out with a victory.”
The win lifted Mizzou’s record to 6-2, while Pittsburgh fell to 5-2. The Tigers will have the rest of the week off, before returning to action on Sunday, when they’ll host Wichita State at Mizzou Arena.
That contest is scheduled to tip off at 2 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
Missouri 71
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | East II,Sean | * | 34 | 7-13 | 3-4 | 4-6 | 0-5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| 35 | Carter,Noah | * | 27 | 5-9 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 0-8 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 02 | Bates,Tamar | * | 20 | 4-8 | 2-3 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 23 | Shaw,Aidan | * | 20 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 | Honor,Nick | * | 23 | 0-6 | 0-3 | 0-1 | 1-0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Grill,Caleb | 26 | 4-8 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 3-2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | |
| 75 | Vanover,Connor | 21 | 3-8 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |
| 14 | Robinson II,Anthony | 13 | 2-5 | 0-2 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| 00 | Butler,Jordan | 7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 04 | Lewis,Curt | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Pierce,Trent | 4 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 45 | Majak,Mabor | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 27-60 | 8-22 | 9-14 | 11-25 | 36 | 20 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 71 |
Pittsburgh 64
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | Hinson,Blake | * | 39 | 7-12 | 5-8 | 3-6 | 0-5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 07 | Carrington,Carlton | * | 36 | 4-14 | 1-7 | 4-4 | 1-6 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 05 | Leggett,Ishmael | * | 32 | 1-8 | 0-5 | 8-8 | 1-6 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| 55 | Austin,Zack | * | 32 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 2-2 | 0-4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 33 | Federiko ,Federiko | * | 24 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 3-6 | 5-1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 25 | Diaz Graham,Guillermo | 16 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 15 | Lowe,Jaland | 12 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 31 | Diaz Graham,Jorge | 6 | 0-3 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 24 | Jeffress,William | 3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 16-47 | 7-25 | 25-31 | 9-24 | 33 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 64 |
2023-24 Mizzou Tigers Men’s Basketball Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 3, 2023 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Home | Wichita State | Mizzou Arena |  |
| December 9, 2023 (Saturday) | 4:15 p.m. | Away | #5 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. |