COLUMBIA, Mo. – Sophomore Torrence Watson scored a career-best 24 points on a career-high eight 3-pointers as Mizzou Men's Basketball (8-4) downed Chicago State, 91-33, on Monday night at Mizzou Arena.  Watson set a new Mizzou Arena single-game record for 3-pointers with eight triples.

The 58-point win marked the largest margin of victory for Mizzou since beating Chicago State by 72 in 1995. The final non-conference matchup before SEC play saw Mizzou's highest scoring half and the least amount of points scored by an opponent this season.

Mizzou jumped out to an early lead thanks to stout defense and outside shooting. At the midpoint of the first half, the Tigers had forced seven Cougar turnovers in seven minutes, and Mizzou didn't allow a field goal in the final six minutes of the opening frame. Watson punctuated a high-octane first half offensively with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, one of Mizzou's season-high 16 triples on the night.

Mizzou came out strong to launch the second half, extending its lead out to 39. Watson caught fire for the Tigers, scoring 18 of his 24 points and making six of his eight treys in the final 20 minutes. Mizzou would again record its highest scoring half of the season with 46, which was capped off with triples from walk-ons Evan Yerkes and Brooks Ford, who each scored their first career points. Twelve different Tigers found the scoring column in the rout.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou jumped on Chicago State from the opening tip, hitting its first three shots of the game to spark a 9-0 run in the game's first two minutes. Mizzou went on to lead wire-to-wire, continually extending its lead throughout the night.  

TOP TIGERS

• Sophomore guard Torrence Watson set a Mizzou Arena record for with eight 3-pointers en route to a career-high 24 points.
• Redshirt junior guard Dru Smith filled the stat sheet with 14 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals, becoming the first Tiger to reach all those marks since Phil Pressey did so against Stanford in 2013.
• Junior guard Mark Smith shot 5-of-7 from the field to finish with 13 points, to go along with four rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Notes

• Mizzou's 58-point victory on Monday night was the largest margin of victory this season, and the largest margin since the Tigers defeated Chicago State, 117-45 in 1995.  
• Mizzou's defense held Chicago State to 23 percent shooting, while only allowing 33 points which is the fewest points an opponent has scored since Arkansas-Pine Bluff managed just 25 points on Dec. 29, 2015.
• Chicago State's 14 first half points were the fewest allowed by Mizzou in a half this season.
• Torrence Watson set career-highs in points (24) and 3-pointers made (eight). His eight 3-pointers broke the Mizzou Arena single-game record of seven.
• Watson's eight threes matched his season total entering the game.
• Mizzou was hot from behind the arc setting new season highs in 3-pointers (16) and 3-point percentage (51).
• The 16 three-pointers were the most for the team since the Tigers made 16 against Auburn on March 6, 2017.
• The Tigers forced 24 turnovers against Chicago State, and have now forced at least 15 turnovers eight times this season. 
• The Tigers recorded a season-high 14 steals, which were the most Dec. 15, 2011 against Kennesaw State.
• Mizzou also had 10 steals against Illinois on Dec. 21 to post back-to-back games with at least 10 steals for the first time since 2013.
• Mizzou had a 39-29 edge on the boards to improve to 8-1 when outrebounding its opponent this season.
• The Tigers' 91 points were the most since the team scored 100 against Green Bay on Dec. 8, 2017.
• Mizzou's 45 first-half points were a season-best, bettering the previous high of 43 against Incarnate Word on Nov. 6.
• The Tigers also set a season-high for assists with 19.
• Evan Yerkes made his second appearance for Mizzou this season, recording his first points of his career with five, including a 3-pointer.
• Walk-on Brooks Ford also scored his first career points, a contested triple in the final minute.
• Dru Smith has now recorded a steal in 25 straight games and an assist in 55 consecutive contests.
• Mark Smith recorded a season-high three steals.

Up Next

Mizzou opens Southeastern Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 4 against Kentucky at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

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