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Mark Smith vs. UCA 11/6/18
Zach Bland/Mizzou Athletics
55
Central Arkansas UCA 0-1
68
Winner Mizzou MIZ 1-0
Central Arkansas UCA
0-1
55
Final
68
Mizzou MIZ
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Central Arkansas UCA 20 35 55
Mizzou MIZ 30 38 68

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Smith’s Double-Double Debut Propels Mizzou to 68-55 Season-Opening Victory Over Central Arkansas

Mizzou extends season-opener win streak to four

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men's Basketball cruised to a 68-55 season-opening win over Central Arkansas on Tuesday evening at Mizzou Arena. Mizzou guard Mark Smith (Edwardsville, Ill.) was brilliant in his Mizzou debut, recording his first career double-double by totaling 19 points and hauling in 10 rebounds, which set a career-best mark for the transfer on the glass. Smith sank a career-high five threes on his way to posting the highest scoring debut since Frankie Hughes totaled 23 points in the 2016 season opener against Alabama A&M on November 13, 2016. Sophomore forward Jeremiah Tilmon (East St. Louis, Ill.) made his presence felt in the paint all evening, finishing with 16 points and four offensive rebounds while drawing double-teams on the block.

Head coach Cuonzo Martin now moves to 2-0 in home openers as the helm at Mizzou, and the Tigers now boast a 91-22 all-time record in home openers. The Black & Gold's win inside Mizzou Arena improved the Tigers to 14-3 in the Martin era.

TURNING POINT

Smith got right to work in his first game wearing his new threads, sparking an early run for the Mizzou offense. With just over two minutes gone in the first half and the score knotted at five, Smith sank a triple from the right wing on his first shot attempt. Minutes later, after a Reed Nikko (Maple Grove, Min.) layup, Smith drilled back-to-back threes to give Mizzou a double-digit lead.

While Smith ignited Mizzou's offensive attack, the Tigers translated that energy to the defensive end. Mizzou held the Bears scoreless for nearly nine minutes during the first half, building an 18-5 lead near the midpoint of the period.

When Central Arkansas creeped back into the game, pulling within four points with 4:57 remaining until the break, Tilmon worked for a tough bucket inside and freshman guard Torrence Watson (St. Louis, Mo.) connected from distance for his first points as a Tiger. With the Mizzou advantage back up to nine, the Tigers continued to pull away.  

TOP TIGERS

  • Mark Smith paced the Tigers in scoring with 19 points and 10 rebounds, posting his first career double-double. Smith played 26 minutes in his debut, posting a 6-of-9 clip from the field and committing only a single turnover.
  • Tilmon battled inside all evening, scratching and clawing to finish with 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field.
  • Senior forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) led Mizzou's battle on the boards, hauling in 10 rebounds for the first time since January 17, 2018 when Mizzou defeated Tennessee at Mizzou Arena.
  • Freshman guard Javon Pickett (Bellville, Ill.) sank a pair of threes in his Mizzou debut and finished with seven points and four rebounds in 25 minutes on the floor.

GAME NOTES

  • Mizzou has now won five straight season openers, improving to 15-2 vs. Southland Conference opponents with tonight's win.
  • The Tigers dominated the glass, recording 45 rebounds, the highest team total since grabbing 48 against North Florida (12/16/17). Mizzou also recorded 11 rebounds on the offensive backboard, the team's most since totaling 14 against Kentucky (2/24/18).
  • Mark Smith recorded the first double-double of his career against the Bears, while also splashing home a career-high five triples.
  • Freshman guard Torrence Watson (St. Louis, Mo.) recorded his first points as a Tiger after knocking down a three-pointer late in the first half.
  • Freshman guard Xavier Pinson (Chicago, Ill.) scored his first collegiate points with a layup with 14 minutes remaining in the second half. Pinson also tallied four assists in the season-opener.
  • Redshirt sophomore Mitchell Smith (Van Buren, Ark.) scored six points, his first points since Dec. 29, 2016, when he had two against Lipscomb. Smith redshirted last season.

UP NEXT

Mizzou heads to Ames, Iowa, where they will meet Iowa State this Friday at 6 p.m. CT. The game can be viewed on Cyclones.TV, or for those that have Mediacom, the game can be found on channel 22 in the state of Missouri.

For all the latest on Mizzou Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@MizzouHoops).

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