Mizzou basketball continues to benefit from its depth

It was another great win for the Missouri Tigers, who improved to 4-1 on the season, extending their four-game win streak, all of which have come at home.

Each contest, Mizzou gets a little better, and Friday night against Pacific was no different. Several players contributed on both sides of the ball, leading to their second straight win by more than 30 points and their second consecutive game scoring over 90 points.

The standout of the night was once again Caleb Grill. Despite coming off the bench, he led the team with 27 minutes and 25 points. The graduate student shot 78% from three, making 7 of his 9 attempts, and finished 9-12 overall. He’s now hit at least 7 threes in 2 of the last 3 games.

One notable contributor was Josh Gray, who has struggled with his shooting this season. However, he went 3-5 overall and even had the confidence to hit a three, marking his first career triple. This showcased the Tigers' "scoring by committee" approach, which they embraced throughout the game.

Gray joked postgame, laughing as he said, "I always told my team and coach that I was a good shooter at heart."

Senior Tamar Bates had a strong game as well, putting up double-digit points, a feat he’s accomplished in all but one game this season.

Bates went 4-4 from the free throw line, remaining perfect on the season, something head coach Dennis Gates has to appreciate. After their big 72-point win over the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils last Thursday, Gates emphasized the need for improvement at the free-throw line.

Overall, the team was solid from the free-throw line, going 17-23. The key takeaway is their aggressiveness, forcing themselves to the line more than 20 times.

Defensively, five players recorded a steal, and two had a block. However, one player stood out on the defensive side, and that was once again Grill, who finished the game with five steals.

The Tigers defense also limited three-point specialist Jefferson Koulibaly to no points, going 0-2 from beyond the arc. He came into the game shooting over 50% on nearly five attempts per game. Mizzou played him tight, denying him opportunities to convert from range.

Overall, it was a full team effort by the Tigers. They’ll look to carry this successful style of play into their next matchup, another home game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday afternoon.