Jacob Crews scored a game-high 20 points Sunday and Missouri eased past visiting Bethune-Cookman 82-60 in Columbia, Mo.
Mark Mitchell added 19 for the Tigers (10-2), while Anthony Robinson II contributed 15 points and seven assists. Missouri canned 34 of 59 shots from the field and carved out a 50-18 advantage in points in the paint.
Jakobi Heady scored 15 points for the Wildcats (3-7) and Arterio Morris added 11. Bethune-Cookman hit 19 of 45 field-goal attempts and committed 16 turnovers, which the Tigers turned into 23 points.
Missouri never trailed and led for all but 1:59. The Tigers pulled away at the start of the second half, expanding a 14-point halftime lead to 56-31 when Robinson drove for a layup. The margin reached as high as 29 when Crews bombed in a 3-pointer with 3:44 left, capping an 8-for-9 performance from the floor that included 3 of 4 on 3-point attempts.
The Tigers also dominated the glass 34-20, with Mitchell grabbing a game-high seven. They nabbed 11 offensive rebounds and converted those into 21 second-chance points. Missouri also reinforced its dominance inside by blocking seven shots.
The pregame storyline focused on the Tigers’ need to perform better than they did Thursday night, when they beat Alabama State 85-77. Missouri led most of the game but struggled to pull away from a team with a losing record.
Early on, neither team could find an offensive rhythm. The high-powered Tigers didn’t reach 10 points until the 13:18 mark on a free throw by Crews. But Bethune-Cookman scouldn’t take advantage, managing just five points in the first 7:28.
When the Wildcats finally gained some momentum, they narrowed the gap to 14-12 with 11:21 left on a 3-pointer by Tyler Andrews. However, Missouri quickly responded with an 8-0 run, capped by a dunk from Mitchell, giving them a 22-12 lead with 8:30 remaining.
The margin reached 15 on Jevon Porter’s layup with 1:31 left before the Tigers settled for a 39-25 cushion at the half.
