Game Thread: Tigers vs Flames

The Tigers take on the Flames tonight and try to win their fourth game in a row to start the season. Missouri is favored to win by 9.5 points. Follow for updates.

End of the game: The Tigers had a dominate 2nd half to give them the victory over the Liberty Flames. Missouri’s defense locked down Liberty all 2nd half. The Flames shot a mere 2-13 from the three point line in the 2nd. The Tigers were propelled by Mark Smith, who put up 12 points in the half. The Tigers are now 4-0 heading into this weekend’s matchup versus Illinois.

2nd half notes

• Liberty picked up a quick three fouls in the first 2 minutes
• The Flames and Tigers were deadlocked at 37 heading into the first TV timeout of the 2nd half
• Missouri started the 2nd half 7-10 from the field and 2-2 from deep
• Missouri picked up their 7th team foul with 9:25 to go in the half
• Dru Smith picked up his 4th personal foul
• The Tigers went into the third TV timeout with a seven point lead
• Missouri went on a 7-0 run in less than a minute to give them a double digit lead
• Both the Tigers and Flames turned the ball over 4 times in the second half.
• Missouri finished the game with 16 more rebounds than Liberty (39-23)
• Tigers shot 51% from the field to end the game
• The Flames shot 36% from the field
• Missouri 57% from three in the 2nd half
• The Tigers outscored the flames 41 to 28 in the last 20 minutes to win

At the Half: Missouri trails 28-32. The Tigers looked sloppy through the first 20 minutes and are lucky to still be in the game. Offensively, the Tigers were ice cold from beyond the perimeter shooting 1-9. Liberty put 12 points up from their bench in the first half, the Tigers only had 6 bench points.

1st half notes

• Missouri struggled to score early
• The score was 8-8 at the first TV timeout
• Headed into the second TV timeout, Missouri trailed 12-8
• The Tigers began the night 0-8 from three and went more than 5 minutes without a point during the first half
• Missouri shot themselves in the foot with 10 turnovers, Liberty only had 3
• Mark Smith hit the first three of the game for Missouri with 5.4 seconds to go in the first half.
• Missouri shot 43% from the field in the first half, Liberty shot 41%
• Dru Smith led all scorers with 8 points in the first 20 minutes

Hoops Preview: Liberty comes to town to slow Mizzou’s momentum

The Details

Opponent: Flames (4-2)

Time: 7:15 p.m. CT

Where: Mizzou Arena

Is Mizzou Receiving Top 25 Votes? YES

What Does Vegas Say? Mizzou, -9.5

Where To Watch: SEC Network + | WatchESPN

Radio: Tiger Radio Network // Sirius/XM -119/199

Twitter: @MizzouHoops

Facebook: Mizzou Men’s Basketball

• If you’re looking to sign up for ESPN+, Rock M Nation now has an affiliate link: click Here for ESPN+ Now! (** RockMNation has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though RockMNation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.**)

Five Questions!

1. How many threes for Mark Smith?
2. Who leads the Tigers in scoring?
3. Will Mizzou cover -9.5?
4. Who is your trifecta for the game?
5. What will the final score be?