Morehead St. Eagles vs Missouri Tigers Match Player Stats On Dec 29, 2018

Mark Smith had 22 points and seven rebounds and Missouri extended its winning streak to six games with a 75-61 nonconference triumph over visiting Morehead State on Saturday afternoon.

Jordan Geist supplied 20 points and five rebounds for Missouri (9-3). Kevin Puryear added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

A.J. Hicks led Morehead State (4-9) with 18 points, three rebounds and four assists. Jordan Walker tossed in 12 points while Lamontray Harris recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Tigers shot 43.1 percent from the field while the Eagles shot 40 percent after a slow start. Morehead State had just seven assists on 20 made field goals.

Missouri raced to a 45-22 lead in the opening half. Smith scored 16 points as the Tigers shot 45 percent from the field and made seven 3-pointers, including four from Smith.

The Eagles were limited to 27 percent shooting and missed all nine of their 3-point tries. They also committed nine turnovers, leading to 10 Missouri points.

Smith scored eight points in the first 2 1/2 minutes on a pair of 3-pointers and a layup. Xavier Pinson gave Missouri its first double-digit advantage at 13-2 with a three-point play.

Torrance Watson's 3-pointer with 10:26 remaining in the half pushed the lead past 20 at 26-5. Smith then drained two more 3-pointers to nudge the lead to 27.

Walker's 3-pointer early in the second half cut Missouri's lead to 20 at 50-30. Harris made a pair of layups during an 10-0 Eagles' run that pulled them within 10 at 56-46.

Geist ended Missouri's scoring drought with a 3-pointer. Morehead State got within eight at 59-51 on a Hicks 3-pointer.

Missouri then gradually pulled away once again.

The only previous meeting between the programs came on Dec. 3, 1984, when the Tigers prevailed 75-60.

Missouri finished the month of December undefeated for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The Tigers' six-game streak is their longest since 2013-14, when they started the season 10-0.

--Field Level Media