3 Takeaways from Mizzou's Close Win Over Eastern Washington

Thoughts from the Missouri Tigers' second win of the season.

Nov. 11, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers forward Marcus Allen (4) drives past defenders during a game against Eastern Washington at Mizzou Arena. / Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

The Missouri Tigers pulled away from Eastern Washington in the final minutes Monday to secure a 84-77 victory, its second win on the season.

Eastern Washington kept the game within 10 points for the entirety of the 10 minutes but committed 15 fouls in the second half, allowing the Tigers to pull away with seven points from the free-point line in the final 10 minutes.

It was a better showing for the Tigers than Friday's against Howard, but still provided plenty of tape to look back on. Here's three takeaways from the win.

This Version of Caleb Grill is What Missouri Needs

Granted, it was against a mid-major team, but Caleb Grill had his best showing since transferring to Missouri ahead of the 2023-'24 season from Iowa State. He scored a career-high of 33 points, including 24 from three-point makes.

His absence was felt last year after suffering a wrist injury in early December that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Last year, Missouri could only rely on Tamar Bates or Sean East II to take over a game. Grill with have to prove he can against higher competition, but with his ability on defense and three-point shot offensively, he could become one of the most important players in the lineup this season.

"I thought he put a focus on the defensive end," Gates said of Grill's performance. "He took the shots that his teammates created for him, and ultimately, he was in the right spot."

Grill made an impact on the stat sheet, but also with the intangible energy Gates wants him to bring the court. In his first three minutes after subbing in, he sinked three-point shot, followed by a fast-break dunk to give Missouri its first lead of the night.

Energy and consistency through 40 minutes has been a problem for Missouri and a significant contributor to its 0-18 SEC record last season. Performances like this from Grill could be a solution.

Marcus Allen Can Play

No freshman played more than Marcus Allen Monday night, with the four-star forward playing 14 minutes. He grabbed three rebounds and scored on two free-throw attempts and a dunk. Out of a stacked freshman class, Allen could be the most important contributor early on. Especially with his defensive ability.

"Both (Allen and Anthony Robinson II) are tremendous defensively," Gates said. "Their defensive IQ is far beyond their offensive IQ. ... I truly believe one of those two, one day, will be an SEC Defensive Player of the Year."

It's early in the season, but Allen has averaged more minutes than any other freshman up to this point. Expect that to continue.

A Better Showing from Mark Mitchell

Most were disappointed from Duke transfer Mark Mitchell's debut with the Tigers against Memphis. In 29 minutes, he shot 2-for-6 from the field, and was not the consistent defensive force Missouri was looking for.

Against Eastern Washington, Mitchell's physicality was on display on both ends of the court and showed the potential big body down low Missouri needed from the transfer portal.

He drew two fouls and shot six-for-10 from the field, including eight points coming from driving inside the paint. He also snagged three rebounds and a block.

Both Gray and Mitchell are somewhat of unknown commodities for the Tigers until they enter tough December matches against California, No. 1 Kansas, and Illinois ahead of the SEC slate. But both showed the most promise Monday compared to their previous performances.