Caleb Grill Returns to Form, Helps Put No. 14 Mizzou Over South Carolina in Blowout

COLUMBIA, Mo. — A 3-point shooter with the portfolio of Caleb Grill likely isn't going to shoot 2-of-12 anytime soon, if ever again.

The senior's inefficiencies played a part in the No. 14-ranked Missouri Tigers' 92-85 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks over the weekend, but things quickly flipped once he subbed-in against the South Carolina Gamecocks Tuesday night. This time, he helped bring them to a 101-71 blowout victory.

Grill finished the night with 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 behind the arc, along with five rebounds and four steals to bounce back in a big way from his off night. Though the outcome faired far better for him than Saturday, his preparation wasn't any different.

"I don't think there's any difference in my preparation, just take and make open shots," Grill said. "Unfortunately I didn't make them in Fayetteville, but getting back on track tonight was good and seeing the ball go through the rim."

Even if his 3-point shot faltered again, Grill's game impacts far more than just that. Coach Dennis Gates has remained confident in his notion that the guard will be on his coaching staff one day, and his ability to find open teammates and play intense defense make him more than a one-dimensional talent.

"His reads are really good at exploiting the defense. He takes what he's given," Gates said on Grill. "He's one of our highest-graded defenders, and that's what's underestimated."

The success that Grill found extended through the entirety of the Missouri roster, as it took care of business against a South Carolina team that has struggled immensely in Southeastern Conference play.

Mark Mitchell added 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while limiting his turnovers to just one after committing six against Arkansas. Anthony Robinson II and Tony Perkins dropped 14 and 13 respectively, while Tamar Bates and Jacob Crews made up the rest of the group to get to double digits.

The Tigers dramatically won the 3-point battle, shooting 11-of-19 as a team. That rendered the comparison to the Gamecocks not even close, as they finished with a measly 2-of-23 clip. Coupled with 63% shooting from the field and only seven turnovers, their offensive momentum was completely overpowering.

Collin Murray-Boyles was the only real saving grace for the Gamecocks, putting up 23 points, seven rebounds and two assists on nearly perfect 10-of-11 shooting. South Carolina's biggest asset was bound to get his, but the rest of its lineup failed to accomplish much of anything against the Missouri defense.

Tamar Bates and Mitchell got off to a quick start, scoring four and five points respectively to put the Tigers up 11-7 at the 15:25 mark. Shortly thereafter, two straight 3-pointers from Grill increased the score to 17-9 with 13:54 remaining — making for quite the hot offensive start.

Grill had nearly matched the Gamecocks' 11 points with a perfect 10 himself by the 11:53 mark, before Jacob Crews extended the lead to 27-13 after back to back triples of his own. Missouri was putting up points with a fast tempo, and South Carolina was doing little to stop the onslaught.

Murray-Boyles was practically the only thing keeping the Gamecock offense rolling, stacking 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting with 3:39 remaining. Even with his excellence, the differential was still 43-26.

Not much changed by halftime either, as the Tigers led 52-37. Grill and Mitchell led the way with 14 and 11 points respectively, while the team shot 6-of-11 from 3-point range as a collective. Meanwhile, South Carolina shot 2-of-12.

The energy of Missouri didn't disperse at the start of the second half, instead it expanded the lead even further. Perkins started it with a layup, Robinson dunked off a turnover and knocked down a jumper, leaving Bates to cap off the sequence with a dunk to go up 60-39 at the 17:40 mark.

The Tigers continued to make smart decisions throughout the half, whether it meant taking the right shot or being in the optimal spot on defense. Crews made two particularly smart decisions between the 12:08 and 11:10 mark, stealing a bad pass directed to the corner and faking at the 3-point line to get an easy layup. That boosted the lead to 74-51.

Then came another barrage of 3-pointers. Grill, Trent Pierce and Robinson completed a trifecta of makes, putting Missouri up by over 30 points with 7:57 left to go. By this point, it was more than safe to call the game as it was.

For the rest of the second half, the Tigers kept tagging on points while experimenting with a couple of different lineups. The result was far out of reach for the Gamecocks for the majority of the final 20 minutes, letting Missouri and the crowd in attendance have a little fun.

Missouri gets a big boost of momentum before heading into Nashville, Tenn., to face the Vanderbilt Commodores at 5 p.m. Saturday.

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