Missouri Basketball 5-0 as Tigers Cruise to Win Over Mississippi Valley State
The Dennis Gates era is off to as good a start as anyone could have hoped for as the newly hired Mizzou head coach led his squad to another victory on Sunday, this time over Mississippi Valley State. The Tigers are 5-0 after their 82-63 dismissal of the Delta Devils and look to be in good shape once conference play begins next month.
Missouri saw four players score in double figures, with guards D'Moi Hodge and Isiaih Mosley netting 18 points each to lead the charge. Still, the first half closed with Mizzou holding only a slim three-point lead. Delta Devils guard Terry Collins scorched the net, scoring 27 points in the contest. It wasn't enough for MVSU, though, as the Tigers blew the top off the second half and ran away with the game.
Hodge was a menace on defense as well, robbing MVSU of six steals in the game. He led all players in that category, and Mizzou finished the game with 16 steals in total. Those turnovers turned into easy points for the Tigers and fueled their 19-point victory.
Hodge, who transferred in from Cleveland State this offseason, has made an immediate impact with Mizzou. The senior guard leads the Tigers in points (17.0) and steals (2.8) per game while shooting just shy of 52 percent from the floor (51.7). Fellow upperclassmen junior forward Noah Carter and senior guard Kobe Brown are each averaging over 12 points and five rebounds per game, solidifying Missouri's veteran core.
Each of Mizzou's five victories this year has come at home, giving them an undefeated record on their own floor. That advantage will be crucial to defend in the upcoming games as the level of competition increases. The Tigers will have a few more games to prepare before their first real challenge of the year when they host No. 3 Kansas.
For now, the Tigers will turn their attention to Coastal Carolina, who they'll face in another Mizzou home game on Wednesday, Nov 23 at 6 p.m. (CT). Gates and his seasoned group of scorers will try to keep their record unblemished as they take on the Chants the day before Thanksgiving.
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