Bench Performances Help Lift Mizzou Tigers Ahead of Jacksonville State

Missouri men's basketball came out on top in a largely back and forth battle against Jacksonville State, behind key performances from Jacob Crews and Trent Pierce.

Dec 14, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Trent Pierce (11) celebrates with team mates after scoring against the LIU Sharks during the second half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

In non-conference play, Missouri men's basketball had largely avoid any scares against its opponents. That changed Tuesday night in Columbia, nearly handing the Tigers their second loss of the season. 

Largely thanks to a hot 12-of-25 game from behind the arc, the Tigers escaped with a 83-72 win over the Jacksonville State Gamecocks to bring their winning streak to 10. Missouri struggled to defend Jacksonville State throughout the night and got beat in the offensive rebounding category 16-9, but a strong second half performance and 12 forced turnovers were enough.

There wasn't really a standout for the Tigers, rather, it was a by-committee effort. Mark Mitchell dropped 18 points on six-of-12 shooting from the field, but Jacob Crews and Trent Pierce were equally important off the bench for the Tigers.

Crews finished off the night with a season-high 19 points on six-of-nine shooting from behind the arc, a huge spark plug that Missouri was desperately in need of late in the game. The senior hadn't gotten much opportunity in Dennis Gates' rotation over the last few weeks, but he took advantage in a key spot and was nearly unstoppable from deep.

All the time spent putting up shots hours after games ended finally paid off for Crews when he got the ball in his hands.

"Trust. Knowing the work you put in is going to come through," Crews said on his mindset. "(I) got a great support staff, my wife, the coaching staff and my teammates for sure. Every day, just telling me it's going to go in, it's going to go in. Just trust them."

Pierce also lit a fire in the Tiger offense early in the first half after a tough start to the contest, ending with 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field. After a career performance in a win over Long Island on Saturday, the sophomore kept the momentum building.

For the Gamecocks, it was always clear who was going to give Missouri the most trouble: Jaron Pierre Jr.

Heading into the matchup, Pierre led Jacksonville State with 23.2 points per game. The senior recorded 18 points and five rebounds on 7-of-17 shooting from the field against the Tigers, and most of the Gamecocks' offense ran through him. For the most of the night, he was a tough cover for the defense to figure out.

Jamar Franklin also provided 15 points, going four-of-six shooting from three-point range, along with Michael Hogue's 12 points and nine rebounds on six-of-13 shooting from the field — each helping bring Missouri some trouble.

Ultimately, the Tigers' offense erupting in the final 10 minutes of the game and a switch to zone defense lifted them to the win. At the 10:14 mark, Missouri only led 59-58. By the end of the game, it won by 11 points.

"We wanted to stay out of rotation, and I was able to do that in the last eight or nine minutes by staying in a zone that allowed our guys to be stationary," Gates said. "That way, we were able to not leave guys open for 3-pointers."

Jacksonville State jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, but Tony Perkins quickly responded by scoring eight-straight points of his own to put the Tigers down 9-8 at the under-16 timeout. Their offense still largely struggled for the next few minutes, but once Trent Pierce entered the game at the 12:35 mark, things started to improve for them. 

The sophomore converted two attempts at the free-throw line, and followed it up by knocking two triples in transition to give Missouri a 24-23 lead with 7:15 remaining. From there until halftime, it was a back and forth battle between both offenses. The Tigers just narrowly had the edge, 41-40.

Into the second half, the Gamecocks kept pushing the pace. Pierre Jr. was limited on the scoring end, but was still able to be the lead ball handler and find quality shots for his teammates. However, Missouri started to pull away in the closing minutes of the game, mostly thanks to Crews' excellence from deep and the zone defense.

"I delayed that zone for a reason," Gates said. "I didn't want to give them too much time to adjust, and I think our guys definitely showed up in a way that was honorable, because that was not an easy win."

Three of Crews' eventual six made 3-pointers came in the final 5:46, including a second chance opportunity at the 2:39 mark that gave the Tigers a comfortable 80-68 lead.

Missouri next faces off against the Illinois Fighting Illini at 12 p.m. Sunday in St. Louis at the Enterprise Center.