Mizzou's bench strikes again in victory over Lindenwood

Throughout the season, Mizzou has built consistent success by relying on a variety of players to lead in scoring. In their six wins so far, a different player has led the team in points in five of those games.

Last night, the Tigers were led by the bench, with seniors Marques Warrick and Tony Perkins stepping up as the top performers.

Warrick had a very efficient all-around game, scoring 17 points on 6-10 shooting and adding 3 rebounds. He played more minutes than anyone else on the team, making the most of the opportunities he got against the Lions.

Perkins led the team in scoring with 18 points, doing so on just 8 shots thanks to a strong 7-9 performance from the free-throw line. The Iowa transfer also added 4 rebounds and 2 steals in the contest.

The Tigers controlled the game from the start, leading for 32:53 in total.

Mizzou struggled from deep, shooting just 5-22 from beyond the arc, which is disappointing given their improvement in this area from game to game. Three of those made threes came from Warrick, further highlighting his overall impact on the game.

The Tigers also turned the ball over multiple times and struggled to defend several Lindenwood players, including guard Markeith Browning II, who scored a career-high 21 points.

Following the game, Perkins was clear about what it meant to him, expressing hope that his strong performance, along with Warrick's, wasn't a one-time occurrence.

“We’re real dangerous,” Perkins said. “Rebounding-wise, scoring-wise, whatever we need, anybody in the game can do it.”

The main player to watch for the Tigers ahead of their next game, Tuesday, December 3rd against California in the ACC/SEC Challenge, is Caleb Grill. Grill has been a bench superstar this season, leading the team in both minutes and points.

Grill left yesterday's game early with an apparent head/neck injury, which head coach Dennis Gates described as "too early to comment on." While Grill has been responsive, the team will likely being cautious with him. His recovery time and availability for Tuesday's contest are currently unknown, so Mizzou should prepare as if they’ll be without him.

One thing is clear: Mizzou's depth is strong this season, and they'll need it to continue producing in order to compete with tougher competition in their next two games.