Eastern Illinois Panthers vs Missouri Tigers Match Player Stats On Dec 07, 2021

Four players scored in double figures Tuesday night as Missouri mined clear advantages in size and strength to wear down Eastern Illinois for a 72-44 nonconference win in Columbia, Mo.

Amari Davis scored a game-high 15 points for the Tigers (5-4), while DaJuan Gordon added 14. Kobe Brown contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Javon Pickett chipped in 10 points and five assists.

Jermaine Hamlin scored 10 points for the Panthers (2-8), who couldn't consistently make shots against a more athletic opponent. Eastern Illinois sank only 36 percent of its field-goal attempts and wasn't able to make up for it by hitting the boards for second chances, getting outrebounded 42-21.

Missouri turned 14 offensive boards into 18 second-chance points and boasted a 50-24 advantage in points in the paint. The Tigers also forced 19 turnovers, converting those into 26 points.

Hamlin's layup off a Missouri turnover drew the Panthers within 38-29 with 13:57 left in the game, but the Tigers quickly went on an 8-2 run and took a 15-point advantage on Jordan Wilmore's putback with 11:52 remaining. The hosts kept expanding the margin, pushing it to 20-plus for the final 6:44.

Eastern Illinois was able to hang with Missouri for most of the first half, employing a deliberate pace. In fact, the Panthers even owned a 17-15 lead at the 7:36 mark when Hamlin dunked an inbounds pass from Kejuan Clements.

But the Tigers clamped down defensively for the half's remainder, allowing only four points. Missouri's offense found a better rhythm down the stretch as well, using its height and quickness advantages to overpower its smaller opponent.

Missouri rattled off 11 straight points for a 26-17 advantage with 3:16 left after Ronnie DeGray III canned two foul shots. The margin reached 13 later in the half on two foul shots by Davis before Eastern Illinois' Kashawn Charles worked free for a layup with three seconds remaining. All that did was cut the Tigers' advantage at intermission to 32-21.

--Field Level Media