Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

Tigers empty bench in 96-33 exhibition blowout

COLUMBIA | Missouri’s starting five bolted to a 15-3 lead on overwhelmed Truman State.

The Tigers’ second five — sophomores Miguel Paul, Marcus Denmon, Laurence Bowers and Steve Moore were joined on the court by freshman Michael Dixon — hit the Bulldogs with a 12-2 scoring run in the next 3 minutes, 34 seconds.

And in other breaking news in a totally expected 96-33 season-opening exhibition basketball victory …

The intro video for Missouri’s new basketball season is kind of catchy, winding up with bold exhortations to:

“Defend the Ball!”

“Defend the Arena!”

“Defend the Title!”

As in, well, the basketball; the Tigers did that, forcing 28 Truman State turnovers and picking up 20 steals.

As in Mizzou Arena, where Missouri hasn’t lost a game since a 75-73 defeat to Oklahoma State on Feb. 26, 2008.

As in the title, last season’s Big 12 Conference Tournament, which the Tigers won on the way to a 31-7 season that ended with a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

“Later on, when we play against the Cole Aldriches and all of them,” Missouri big man Bowers said of KU’s preseason All-American, “we’re going to have to work. It’s not going to be as easy as it was tonight.”

That is the obvious caveat on a night when everything — including Missouri outrebounding Truman State 54-24 — seemed to come easily for the Tigers.

Missouri took the floor Friday night without its top three scorers from a year ago: DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence. Carroll is playing with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, Lyons is playing pro ball in Israel and Lawrence is playing in Norway.

How well Missouri is going to transition from last season to this one likely will require more of a test than Truman State — 6-21 last season and 1-19 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association — could provide.

But Missouri — from starters J.T. Tiller, Zaire Taylor and Keith Ramsey (all seniors), junior Justin Safford and sophomore Kim English on down the roster — looked to be up to the task before a full student section and a half-full crowd (8,120 official attendance) at Mizzou Arena.

At the half, Missouri led 50-25.

At a timeout with 11:54 to play in the second half, Missouri was on a 23-4 scoring run. Bowers made it 25-4 seconds later with his 12th point to go with 10 rebounds. And seconds after that, he scored his fifth basket of the game and extended the run to 27-4.

By the time Jarrett Sutton — a walk-on newly rewarded with a scholarship — got into the game with 7:28 left, Missouri’s second-half sizzle had lengthened to 32-5 with the Tigers up 82-30.

When it was over, Missouri had outscored Truman State 46-8 in the second half.

Bowers led Missouri in scoring (14 points) and rebounding (12). Tiller scored 13 points on five of six shooting. English, Safford and Dixon finished with 10 points each.

“The competition is going to get better,” Missouri Coach Mike Andersons said. “That’s when we really find a lot more about our basketball team.”

Missouri closes out its exhibition season with a home game at 7 p.m. next Friday against Northwest Missouri State.

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