Missouri is hosting NCAA Division II school Lincoln University (Mo.) inside Mizzou Arena for an exhibition matchup on Saturday. It’ll be the first taste of competition heading into the 2024-25 season for both the Tigers and the Blue Tigers.
LUMO, led by third-year head coach Jimmy Drew, went 15-15 overall and 9-13 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association last season. The team is likely to lean on 6-foot-7 returning forward Franck Yetna, who finished third on the roster with 10.7 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals.
The black and gold will be introducing 11 newcomers, including six transfers, headlined by junior forward Mark Mitchell and graduate senior guard Tony Perkins, and five freshmen, featuring Annor Boateng, the No. 26-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024. The team will also be reintroducing seven returners, led by senior guard Tamar Bates, who was second on the team averaging 13.5 points while shooting 49.5% from the field, 38.5% from the 3-point line and 92.6% from the free throw line. Heading into his third season at the helm for MU, head coach Dennis Gates is hoping to get his program back on track after finishing last year at 8-25 overall and 0-19 in SEC play.
PowerMizzou.com will be covering the scrimmage, offering live updates and full game coverage throughout the day.
PREGAME
All 18 Tigers appear to be healthy and are going through warmups.
#Mizzou freshman guard Annor Boateng gets things started playing the National Anthem on the saxophone pic.twitter.com/nSU5O45KZH
— Drew King (@drewking0222) October 26, 2024
STARTING LINEUP
G Marques Warrick
G Tamar Bates
G Caleb Grill
F Mark Mitchell
C Josh Gray
FIRST HALF
Lincoln wins the tip-off and hits a corner 3 with their first possession. Mizzou gets called for traveling with theirs.
After a stop on the next play, Tamar Bates drives and kicks to Mark Mitchell to the right corner for a triple to get Mizzou on the board.
Anthony Robinson II is the first player off the bench, he comes in for Warrick.
Mitchell pumps fakes on a 3, gets his man in the air, then drives and is sent to the free throw. He goes 2-for-2 to give the Tigers a 8-3 lead.
Ant Robinson comes up with a steal (what’s new?) and Mark Mitchell finishes the possession off with a physical drive to the rim. He’s got seven of the team’s 10 points.
Aidan Shaw is the first forward off the bench, he comes in for Josh Gray.
At the first media timeout, Missouri leads 14-5.
16U
Peyton Marshall is the first freshman to check into the game. Mizzou gets him the ball in the post with its next possession but Marshall commits an offensive foul.
Robinson comes up with another steal, his second of the day, and scores a layup to put MU up 19-5. Lincoln calls timeout.
Caleb Grill comes up with a loose ball in the paint and gives it to Marshall. Marshall draws the double team inside, lets Grill relocate outside, then dishes it back to him for the triple.
Marshall was fouled in the post, they’re giving him a lot of touches. He’ll shoot a pair of free throws after the media break, Mizzou’s up 22-8.
12U
On defense, Mizzou has held Lincoln to 3-10 from the field and forced 5 turnovers.
Marshall hits both his foul shots and gets subbed out by Mark Mitchell.
Jacob Crews checks in for the first time at the 9:34 mark for Annor Boateng. The Tigers have extended the lead to 20, 28-8.
Robinson picks off a pass and dishes it ahead to Grill, who throws down a windmill dunk. It’s good to see him back.
Robinson gets another pilfer two possessions later, poking the ball loose from behind the dribbler and throwing it down himself. Robinson’s got 4 points, 2 boards, 3 assists and 4 steals. Lincoln calls its second timeout down 33-8 with 8:14 left in the half.
8U
Shaw takes his man off the dribble for a drive to the hoop and lays it in to extend the lead to 35-10. It’s the most dribbles I’ve seen him take in a long time.
Trent Pierce checks in at the 7-minute mark for Shaw.
Robinson is whistled for his second foul with a little over six minutes left. Dennis Gates chooses to leave him in but he immediately picks up another foul and is subbed out by Warrick.
Crews scores his first bucket on a feed inside from Pierce, He’s fouled on the layup but doesn’t convert at the free throw line.
Marcus Allen checks into the game and the Tigers force a shot clock violation on the next possession. Also notable, Allen’s out there with Crews, Pierce and Gray. That’s four players all 6-foot-7 or taller.
Mizzou leads 42-12 at the media timeout.
4U
Marshall checks back into the game and scores in the post, then hits his defender with the “too small” celebration.
Caleb Grill drills a catch-and-shoot trey to make it 50-15. He’s up to 11 points and 4 rebounds on the day.
Grill hits another corner 3 the next trip down. Mizzou heads into the half up 53-19.
The only Tigers who have not checked into the game yet are Tony Perkins, T.O. Barrett and Trent Burns.
FIRST HALF STATS
SECOND HALF
Really nice dish and dumpoff from Warrick to Gray for Mizzou’s first basket of the second half. Warrick’s been pretty quiet today despite getting the start.
Lincoln scores twice in the first 2:12, Gates calls his first timeout. T.O. Barrett checks into the game for the first time. Barrett draws a foul soon after but goes 0-2 at the line.
Missouri leads 59-26 at the media timeout. Tamar Bates is the third player in double-digits with 10 points.
16U
Mizzou picked things up after the break, going on an 11-0 run. Mark Mitchell had seven of those points, hitting another 3 from the right wing.
Grill and Shaw were by themselves on a fast break. Grill got the ball and bounced it to Shaw to let him throw down a dunk. This team could be pretty good in transition.
Trent Burns checks in at the 12:22 mark.
Lincoln now trails 70-28 at the media timeout.
12U
Burns and Shaw nearly linked up on an alley-oop attempt. The pass from Burns at the top of the key looked good, Shaw just couldn’t make the catch.
Robinson finds Burns on a fast break for a dunk, Burns’ first points. Mizzou up 75-30 on a 16-4 run.
A right wing triple from Trent Pierce pushes the lead to 50 with 8:30 left to play.
Barrett and Marshall connect on a give-and-go the next play down. There’s been some impressive displays of chemistry for the newcomers. Barrett draws a foul on the next trip down to trigger the media timeout, the Tigers are up 82-32.
