For nearly 30 minutes, Missouri looked out of sync. But once the Tigers found their rhythm, they never looked back.
After going on a 34-13 run to close the game and leaving Minnesota without a field goal for an 8:11 period in the second half, Mizzou beat Minnesota 83–62 Tuesday evening at Mizzou Arena.
The Tigers improved to 4–0 and will take a short break before hosting Prairie View A&M next week.
“Once the 13-minute mark hit, our guys just decided to defend and rebound,” head coach Dennis Gates said. “From that point, it was different.”
Missouri spent much of the first half searching for offensive synchrony. Possessions dragged, and open looks were sparse. Sebastian Mack was the only Tiger to find early success, scoring the team’s first 10 points while hitting both of his early three-point attempts.
“Sebastian gave us life,” Gates said. “He did what he does best — he scored, and he stayed patient when we needed him.”
Then in the final 8 minutes of the first half, it turned.
Crews Sets the Tone
One of the biggest bright spots came from Jacob Crews, who has quickly emerged as one of Mizzou’s most reliable frontcourt players. Crews posted 14 points on six shots and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, providing the energy and physicality the Tigers lacked early.
“It started with the energy,” Crews said. “The coaches and my teammates trust me to take the right shots and just play free. That confidence goes a long way.”
Crews started the second half in place of Jevon Porter, who played limited minutes. On Missouri’s opening possession, he drilled a three — a sign of how quickly the momentum was shifting.
A Game-Deciding Flurry
With 10 minutes left in the second half, the Gophers trailed by just four. One minute later, the game was in the Tigers' hands.
A Mitchell jumper, a transition three by Luke Northweather, and a four-point play sequence capped by a Crewsinbounds triple ignited an 11–0 burst in just 57 seconds. Missouri fed off the crowd, forcing turnovers and running the floor with purpose.
By the time Jayden Stone threw down a dunk to make it a 14-point game, the outcome was sealed.
“You can feel it when those runs happen,” Stone said. “The energy just spreads. Everyone’s locked in.”
Momentum Beyond the Court
Tuesday also marked National Signing Day, with Missouri officially locking in two members of its top-ranked 2025 recruiting class. Gates credited the culture his current roster has built for fueling that success.
“The best recruiters we have are the guys already in our locker room,” Gates said. “Their energy, their character — that’s what people want to join.”
Missouri will look to extend its unbeaten start when it hosts Prairie View A&M on Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena.