The Mizzou men’s basketball team continued its undefeated run to the start the 2025-26 campaign, running out to an early lead and never giving it back in a 98-66 win over South Carolina State on Tuesday night. With the win, the Tigers improve to a perfect 7-0 on the year.
MIZZOU LEADERS
Five Tigers scored in double figures in the winning effort, led by a career-best 17 from senior Shawn Phillips Jr. The center made 7-of-8 field goals to go with a team-best eight rebounds and two blocks as the Tigers dominated its opponent inside.
Senior Mark Mitchell showcased his all-around game – adding 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the winning effort.
Junior Sebastian Mack and sophomore Annor Boateng both chipped in a dozen points, while sophomore T.O. Barrett rounded out the double-figure scorers for Mizzou with a career-best 11 points.
GAME RECAP
Mizzou did not waste any time putting its stamp on the game, quickly racing to a double-digit lead it would never give back. The Tigers scored on nine of their first 11 possessions, while forcing the Bulldogs to miss their first seven shots en route to building a 19-1 lead.
MU would pull in front by as many as 25, 32-7, midway through the first period before South Carolina State would cut its deficit down to 15, 41-26. A 10-0 spurt by the hosts quickly ended any thoughts of a comeback as Mizzou headed into the locker room with a 25-point lead, 55-30.
It was more of the same for the Tigers in second half. Highlighting the final push was graduate student Jacob Crews scoring his 1,000th career point and redshirt freshman Trent Burns making the most of his collegiate debut with seven points, three boards and one block in 11 minutes of action.
TEAM STATS
The Tigers eclipsed 50 percent shooting for the seventh-straight game to open the season – making 52.3 percent of their field goals. Mizzou especially dominated inside where it held a 54-26 advantage in the paint and a 36-10 edge in second-chance points.
Mizzou also held the Bulldogs to just 37.5 percent shooting in the contest – the fifth time it held an opponent under 40 percent this season.
UP NEXT
The Tigers wrap up their seven-game homestand when they welcome Cleveland State to Mizzou Arena on Friday. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. on SEC Network+. A special ticket promotion for just $5 apiece is available by clicking here, while fans can also enjoy a $1.99 beer special throughout the game.
