Mizzou look to bounce back in home opener against Howard

The Tigers are coming off a disappointing season opener loss to the Memphis Blue Tigers on Monday. The Bison had a similar outcome, suffering an 87-57 blowout loss to the Kansas Jayhawks on Monday, which dropped their record to 0-2.

Mizzou’s defense is sure to be tested on Friday night. In their last game, the Tigers played strong defense in the first half, limiting Memphis’s shot opportunities, forcing turnovers, and holding them to a low shooting percentage. However, things unraveled in the second half, as the Blue Tigers picked apart Mizzou’s defense, with their shooting numbers surging in the latter part of the game.

The Bison managed to hold Kansas to just 38% overall shooting in their matchup. Mizzou will aim to capitalize on that, using their defense to their advantage against an already-disappointing Memphis offense.

In addition to the low shooting percentage from the team as a whole, individual scoring was also limited, with only one Bison player reaching double digits: freshman guard Blake Harper from Washington, D.C.

Howard’s defense also struggled, as Kansas shot an impressive 59% from the field and 50% from beyond the three-point line.

Mizzou found some success from the field, shooting 46% and frequently getting to the free-throw line. However, their main issue mirrored their defensive struggles—maintaining consistency throughout the game. In the second half, Mizzou’s offense went cold, and once Memphis started hitting shots, Mizzou couldn’t keep up.

The Tigers need to exploit Howard’s defense early, as Kansas did earlier in the week, and create easy scoring opportunities to establish a quick rhythm.

Mizzou hasn’t won a game in over 300 days, with the loss to Memphis extending their losing streak to 20 games—a mark few teams reach and most hope to avoid. Dennis Gates and his team have a real opportunity to break the streak and even their record at .500 this week in their home opener.

Howard managed only 19 points in the first half before finding their rhythm in the second. This is crucial for Mizzou, as effective scoring and replicating their strong first-half defense from the Memphis game should allow them to control the game and avoid any major challenges against the Bison.

Howard was out-rebounded by 11 on defense, managed only one block throughout the game, and committed nearly 20 turnovers. Kansas dominated the Bison in all aspects, particularly by executing their offensive game plan and forcing quick turnovers on defense, which paved the way for an easy victory.

The game at Mizzou Arena will be available on SEC Network+ at 7 p.m. CST on Friday.