It was just one of those nights for Jacob Crews.
Right from the jump of his first start of the season, the Crews Missiles were launching from all angles, and the Hornets of Alabama State had nowhere to scamper into. By the time there was 12:29 left in the first stanza, Crews had already connected on four 3-pointers, shades of his 14-point first-half performance in South Bend.
The triples were flying for both teams throughout Mizzou's 85-77 victory on Thursday night at Mizzou Arena. A combined total of 13 was the first half total, eight of those coming from the Hornets, including a 3-of-4 mark from guard Asjon Anderson.
When asked what the differences for him between being in the starting lineup and starting on the bench, Crews gave his approach, which is as consistent as his shot on Thursday.
"I would say nothing really changed from my approach...I'm grateful for starting, but it didn't make a difference in how I would play or what effort I would give. Obviously, I'm grateful to have my name called and to have that adrenaline rush... I just want to be there and play."
Mizzou coach Dennis Gates pushed the Tigers' leading scorer of the night to be more honest about his response.
"It matters to him, it matters," Gates said. "He was excited. When you say he earned it, he earned it. But don't let him fool you, it mattered that he heard his name in the starting lineup, and it gave him some real good energy."
Mizzou struggles to pull away from Alabama State
The second half was undeniably tougher for Missouri, which at one point included a 22-13 run by the Hornets, which started in the final two minutes of the first half and lasted until the 13:14 mark of the second half. Missouri, which never once trailed, ultimately used the timely 3-point shooting and size advantage to outscore the Hornets 46-24 in the paint, another reason why the smallest deficit was nine for the Tigers.
Mizzou's starting point guard, Anthony Robinson II, played a high amount of minutes, all 20 in the second half, to be precise. After a rough last four appearances in the scoring department, Robinson II had a much-needed bounce back Thursday.,
Missouri never trailed and ultimately used its size and finishing ability to outscore Alabama State 46–24 in the paint, preventing the Hornets from getting within nine the rest of the way.
Beyond Crews, the Tigers received an important bounce-back performance from point guard Anthony Robinson II. After averaging just 4.75 points over his last four outings, Robinson delivered 14 points on Thursday—10 of them coming at crucial moments in the second half. He also played all 20 minutes after the break.
Mark Mitchell added 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, marking his 10th consecutive game in double figures. Sebastian Mack added 10 points off the bench, and Luke Northweather contributed quality minutes in relief of a recovering Jevon Porter, who, according to Gates, had been feeling under the weather the past two days.
Crews’ sixth three of the night—splashed from the left wing with just under four minutes remaining—restored a double-digit lead and effectively iced Alabama State’s upset bid.
Missouri returns to the floor Sunday at 1 p.m. against Bethune-Cookman in its penultimate non-conference matchup.