Mizzou Arena in Columbia, MO

Mizzou holds off hot-shooting SEMO 96-89, begins prep for Saturday’s Border War

Mizzou Mizzou Basketball

The Missouri Tigers will enter Saturday’s Border War matchup with the University of Kansas with a perfect 9-0 record, following a Sunday afternoon win over Southeast Missouri State, 96-89.

With a new group of student-athletes making up the first Tiger team in the Dennis Gates era, the unbeaten start has lit a fire in the long-languishing Mizzou fanbase, with the student section noticeably more full on game nights, and crowd size in general at greater capacity going into the sellout against 8-1 and sixth-ranked KU.

Among the player new to the Tiger program are points guards Tre Gomillion and Nick Honor, both arriving in Columbia as transfers (Gomillion from Cleveland State and Honor from Clemson), along with JUCO transfer Sean East II.  Against SEMO, East, a product of John A. Logan Community College, had 21 points to go with four rebounds, four steals, and six assists.  Mizzou’s top returning talent from a season ago, forward Kobe Brown, led MU with 25 points and eight rebounds.

Saturday’s nationally-televised (ESPN) game with Kansas will tip at 4:15 PM, with pregame at 3:30 on KTTN FM 92.3.