Diverse Three-Point Attack Powers Mizzou Basketball Over Pacific

Eight different players scored from outside the arc for the Missouri Tigers in their fourth win of the season.

Nov. 11, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Caleb Grill (31) huddles with the rest of the team during a game against Eastern Washington at Mizzou Arena. / Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

COLUMBIA, Mo. — A 22-9 run in the final five minutes of the first half helped the Missouri Tigers pull away from the Pacific Tights Friday night, earning a 91-56 win.

Missouri now moves to 4-1 on the season, with its only scratch being a 70-55 loss to Memphis to open the season. 

11 days removed from his career scoring day, Caleb Grill  led the Tigers with 25 points, including 21 points from outside the three-point arc. Grill also recorded a career-high with five steals.

Missouri looked to get its three-point shooting game going early, with three of its first five attempts being from outside the arc, but missing all five. Pacific jumped out to a 7-2 lead while Missouri worked out its shooting problems. 

But after Marques Warrick sank a three-point shot at the 13:56 mark, the lid was off the basket for Missouri. Warrick’s make gave Missouri its first lead of the night, one it would never give back.

Warrick, a transfer from Northern Kentucky, was the first of eight different Missouri players who would make a three-point shot. 42 of Missouri’s points on the night came from outside the arc. 

Missouri also won battles under the glass, and at the free-throw line. It out rebounded Pacific 38 to 32, and made 17 of its attempts from the charity stripe.

The diverse scoring attack came from a lineup of 12 total players for Missouri, including T.O. Barrett. The true freshman checked in with just under seven minutes remaining in the game, scoring two points and recording a steal in the final stretch of the win.

Freshman Annor Boateng put a cherry on top of the win by crashing on the hoop with a dunk with 32 seconds left.

Next up on the schedule for Missouri is Arkansas Pine-Bluff, who Missouri defeated 101-79 to open the 2023-’24 season. The game will tip off Sunday at 4:00 p.m. at Mizzou Arena. 

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How it Happened

Second Half:

FINAL Missouri 91, Pacific 56

• 5:25 Missouri 80, Pacific 44: Three-star freshman T.O. Barrett has checked in for Missouri, making his collegiate debut.

• 10: 31 Missouri 72, Pacific 43: Just another incredibly efficient night for Caleb Grill. He's now up to 25 points, and shooting 7-for-9 on three-point shots.

• 15:45 Missouri 62, Pacific 33: Missouri continuing its offensive success early in the second half. Both Caleb Grill and Mark Mitchell have made three-point shots in the opening minutes of the half.

First Half Stats 

First Half:

First Half Stats

First half stats from Missouri basketball's Nov. 22 game against Pacific. / StarMonitr

• END OF HALF Missouri 54, Pacific 31: Caleb Grill sinks a three-point shot at the buzzer to give Missouri its largest lead of the night. He continues to lead the team with 19 points, and in minutes with 17 despite not being in the starting lineup.

• 2:36 Missouri 40, Pacific 29: Missouri's Caleb Grill is looking just as excellent as he did last Monday against Eastern Washington, where he scored a career-high of 33 points. He's up to a team-leading 13 points tonight after a fastbreak dunk.

• 6:26 Missouri 29, Pacific 20: Gates will be pleased with how well his team is doing from the free-throw line tonight. Six of Missouri's points have come from three trips to the free-throw line where they made both shots.

• 10:17 Missouri 19, Pacific 11: Mizzou Arena is on its feet after two straight alley-oops to round out eight unanswered points from Missouri.

• 15:43 Missouri 2, Pacific 7: Missouri has been looking to get the three-point shot going early, but it just isn't there, missing all three from attempts from outside the arc. Missouri has shot 36.8% on three-point shots this season.

Pre Game:

• The status of Missouri guard Tony Perkins is one to keep an eye on in this one. The Iowa transfer missed Missouri's last game due to precautionary efforts as he works his way back from an injury. Gates said Perkins is "day to day" in hispress conference ahead of Friday's game.

Starting Lineups:

Missouri	Pacific
Anthony Robinson II	Jefferson Koulibay
Tamar Bates	Lamar Washington
Annor Boateng	Elijah Fisher
Mark Mitchell	Elias Ralph
Josh Gray	Jazz Gardner