Owen Buescher

Sauget, Ill. - With Braggin’ Rights on the line, No, 29 Mizzou defeated Illinois by a score of 6-5 at GCS Ballpark. The win takes Missouri to 18-6 on the season, while Illinois falls to 11-10 in 2023. 

Logan Lunceford (3-0) grabbed the win in the contest, fanning nine in five innings of work. Juju Stevens impressed at the dish, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Hank Zeisler and Justin Colon each added an RBI of their own in the contest, with Zeisler scoring twice.

The Tigers would strike first in the top of the first, as a Luke Mann single and a Trevor Austin single put runners on the corners. First baseman Hank Zeisler knocked a single into right field, bringing in Mann. 

Right fielder Juju Stevens would keep the momentum going, lacing a double down the right field line to bring in Austin and Zeisler, bringing Mizzou’s lead to 3-0 after the first frame.

The Illini would get on the board in the bottom of the second, as sophomore Ryan Moerman would jump on the first pitch of his at-bat, launching a home run over the left field wall that would draw Illinois within two.

Following a Juju Stevens beanball in the top of the fourth and a successful sacrifice from Ty Wilmsmeyer, shortstop Justin Colon would knock in Missouri’s fourth of the game, giving them a 4-1 advantage after three and a half.

Illinois would get it back in the bottom of the frame as Ryan Moerman continued his solid day at the plate, lacing a single into right-center field that scored Illini DH Drake Wescott, and advanced catcher Cam Janik to third.

Shortstop Cal Hejza would keep the offense going for Illinois, knocking in Janik. With two in the inning, Mizzou’s lead dwindled to one after four innings. 

Another plunked batter by Illinois starter Jake Swartz would put Hank Zeisler aboard in the top of the fifth, and following a steal of second and throwing error by catcher Cam Janik, Zeisler found himself 90 feet away. Juju Stevens drove him in, collecting his third RBI on the night, and giving Mizzou a 5-3 lead.

Control problems continued to plague Illinois, as lefty reliever John Lundgren hit Luke Mann on a full count. Jackson Lovich knocked Mann to third, who came in to score on a wild pitch, extending Mizzou’s lead to three.

The Illini would answer back quickly. Drake Westcott and Cam Janik knocked back-to-back doubles, putting runners on second and third. Ryan Moerman collected his third RBI of the contest on a sacrifice fly, and Cam Hejza singled in another for Illinois. The Tigers exited the sixth up 6-5.

The teams traded scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth, combining for just one hit, as the Tigers’ Rorik Maltrud and Illinois’ Korey Brunselmeyer settled in. 

Mizzou would call on Zach Franklin to close it out in the ninth, and he delivered. Franklin induced a 1-2-3 inning, quieting the Illini bats and securing the win for the Tigers.

GAME NOTES

• Juju Stevens logged his third game with multiple RBIs this season.

• The win gives Mizzou a 16-14-1 advantage in the all-time series against the Illini.

• Thanks to a third inning walk, DH Dalton Bargo extended his on-base streak to nine games.

• Logan Lunceford’s 9 Ks in the contest ties his season high, set last week versus Kansas.

• Luke Mann collected two hits in the contest, his eighth game with multiple hits this season.

• Zach Franklin’s save is his second of the season and the 13th of his collegiate career.

• The win is the Tiger’s fifth midweek victory of the season, defeating Lindenwood, Western Illinois, Lamar, and Kansas previously.

• Mizzou improves to 12-1 when scoring six or more runs.

• The win is the Tigers 17th of the season when leading after six frames.

• The Tigers remain undefeated when scoring first, winning all 16 contests when they get on the board first.

UP NEXT

The Tigers continue their road trip tomorrow at 3 p.m., as they face off against Lindenwood at the Lou Brock Sports Complex. Mizzou previously defeated the Lions on February 28th, a 17-2 victory in seven innings. The game can be heard on KTGR 105.1 & 100.5 with Tex Little and Matt Michaels on the call.

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Tigers take home historic victory in McBride Home Braggin’ Rights game versus Illinois

St. Louis, Mo. - The Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team defeated the number 16 ranked University of Illinois Illini by a score of 93-71 in the McBride Homes Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center Thursday night. The Tigers improve to 11-1, while the Illini lose their fourth game, and sit at 8-4. This was the Tiger’s fifth straight win against a ranked Illinois team.

Senior Kobe Brown (Huntsville, Ala.) was the story from tip-off to the final buzzer, logging 31 points, as well as contributing 8 assists and 5 rebounds in the winning effort. With a free throw at 5:26 in the second half, Brown broke the record for most points ever scored by a Tiger in a Braggin’ Rights game ever. Senior D’Moi Hodge also stood out in the victory, registering 20 points, including draining four threes. Senior Nick Honor and Junior Sean East III both racked up four helps in the contest. 

Mizzou jumped out to a 6-0 lead to start the contest, before Illinois quickly tied the game. The teams traded points until the 13 minute mark of the first half, where Mizzou embarked on a 20-2, which saw Mizzou lead the contest 30-14 with less than 6 minutes left in the half. D’Moi Hodge drained three threes during the run, and Kobe Brown added another four points. During that time, the Illini shot just 1 of 11 from the field. Mizzou followed up that run, by adding 10 points in just 52 seconds. Mizzou held a 51-27 lead heading into the break.

The Tigers carried this momentum into the start of the second half, outscoring the Illini 17-8  in the first 4 and a half minutes of the frame, with Brown being responsible for nine of the points. The Tigers kept up the pressure for the second half, never leading by less than 21 points.

Mizzou finished the contest shooting 59.3% from the field including 10-of-20 (50%) from behind the arc. They also logged 23 assists, their most since their game against Houston Christian on November 26th. The Tigers held Illinois to 25-of-62 (40.3%) from the field and allowed just seven threes. The Illini’s 22.6% from three was their lowest mark of their season. 

UP NEXT

The Tigers look to improve to 12-1 in their  next contest against a 19th ranked Kentucky squad on December 28th at Mizzou Arena. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

COLUMBIA, Mo. - University of Missouri tennis took the doubles point and an early singles lead, but could not close out No. 50 Alabama, dropping a 4-1 decision in Southeastern Conference action on Friday.

The match was played in front of a raucous crowd of Mizzou supporters at the Country Club of Missouri, including football head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, Whitten Family Men’s Basketball Head Coach Dennis Gates and The Antlers, part of the Tigers student section.

The Tigers drop to 10-13, and 1-10 in SEC play, while Alabama improves to 12-8, going 5-5 in the conference.

Trailing 1-0 in doubles, the No. 1 duo of Mae Canete and Inah Canete picked up a 6-1, upset win over Alabama’s forty-second ranked team of Loudmilla Bencheikh and Anna Marie Hiser.

Andrea Artimedi and Emelie Schwarte continued the momentum in No. 2 doubles, taking down Petra Sedlackova and Anna Parkhomenko by a score of 6-3.

Alabama picked up three straight-set wins in the first four matches to put the Crimson Tide on the cusp of clinching the match. 

Inah Canete took Alabama’s Petra Sedlackova to three sets, defeating her 6-4 in the opening set before dropping the final pair. No. 5 and No. 6 singles were both left unfinished.

#50 Alabama 4, Missouri 1

SINGLES

1. Loudmilla Bencheikh def. #89 Mae Canete (MIZ) 7-6 (11-9), 6-3

2. Ola Pitak (UA) def. Emelie Schwarte (MIZ) 6-2, 6-2

3. Petra Sedlackova (UA) def. Inah Canete (MIZ) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3

4. Anna Parkhomenko (UA) def. Andrea Artimedi (MIZ) 6-2, 6-2

5. Anna Marie Hiser (UA) def. Romary Cardenas (MIZ) 6-0, 1-0 uf

6. Klara Milicevic (UA) def. Eleanor Fay (MIZ) 6-0, 0-1 uf

DOUBLES

1. Inah Canete and Mae Canete (MIZ) def. #42 Loudmilla Bencheikh and Anna Marie Hiser (UA), 6-1

2. Andrea Artimedi and Emelie Schwarte (MIZ) def. Petra Sedlackova and Anna Parkhomenko (UA), 6-3

3. Ola Pitak and Kasia Pitak (UA) def. Romary Cardenas and Eleanor Fay, 6-0

Order Of Finish: Singles- 2, 4, 1, 3; Doubles 3, 1, 2

UP NEXT

Mizzou is matched up against No. 13 Auburn on Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo.

Mizzou Men’s Basketball Post-Game Notes vs. LSU

Mizzou Arena - Columbia, Mo.

Final Score: Mizzou 87, LSU 77

• The win gives Mizzou their third all-time win versus LSU, and their first since January 8, 2015.

• Mizzou handed LSU their ninth straight loss, marking LSU’s longest losing streak since the 2016-17 campaign.

• MU finished the game with 87 points. They have now won 20 straight when eclipsing their magic number of 70.

• The win is Missouri’s 10th straight when drawing more fouls than they committed.

• Mizzou started the month off with a victory, snapping a five game losing streak in the month of February.

• Noah Carter hit three triples in the first five minutes of the contest, setting a season high in SEC play.

• Mizzou’s 13 threes in the contest gives them 43 in their last three games, their highest mark in any three game stretch in team history.

• Mizzou hit at least 13 threes for the third straight game, the first time in program history they hit that mark. They scored 11 of their three pointers in the first half alone. 

• Kobe Brown hit his fifth three of the game with two minutes left in the first half, setting a new career high. The senior matched his season high for field goals with 10, on just 11 shots. This 90.9% night from the field is the best shooting performance of his career when attempting at least two shots.

• Mizzou shot 33-of-59 from the field, posting a 55.9% field goal percentage, their highest in conference play this season.

• Mizzou logged 26 assists in the contest, their most in conference play this season.

• Mo Diarra’s nine offensive rebounds set a career high for the big, beating out his previous high of five set against Alabama.

• DeAndre Gholston matched his season high for threes and threes attempted with three and five, respectively.

• Mizzou handed LSU their first loss when two players recorded a double-double since LSU fell to South Carolina on December 21, 2019.

Mizzou Men’s Basketball Post-Game Notes vs. Texas A&M

Mizzou Arena - Columbia, Mo.

Final Score: Texas A&M 69, Mizzou 60

• The loss is the Tiger’s fourth straight against A&M at Mizzou Arena. The Aggies now lead the series 24-20, including going 10-8 in Columbia.

• Mizzou fell to A&M 69-60, a nine point margin of defeat. This is the team's worst home loss to an unranked opponent since losing by 10 to Tennessee on January 7, 2020.

• Mizzou has lost 26 of their last 27 games when being held under 70 points.

• The Tigers forced A&M into 21 turnovers in the contest. This is the most miscues for the Aggies in a game this season.

• With 14 steals, Mizzou set a season high steals in a SEC game this season. Their previous high was 13 steals at Arkansas on January 4th.

• D’Moi Hodge tied his season high of six steals in one game. 

• Kobe Brown’s 24 points mark the 20th time the senior guard has scored in the double-digits this season. This is the first time he has reached this milestone after scoring in the double-digits 19 times his junior year.

• Kobe Brown tied his career high for threes in a game, draining five in the loss. 

• The Tigers held the Aggies bench without a point until Andersson Garcia hit a layup with 11 minutes left in the second half.

• Mizzou scored 14 second chance points in the contest, their most in SEC play this season.

• Kobe Brown posted a Game Score of 22.1 in the loss. This is the highest mark a Tiger has reached in a loss since Kassius Robinson registered a 23.2 in a January 2018 loss against Arkansas.

• Mizzou shot just 20-for-51 in the contest, good for just a 39.2 FG%. The 20 buckets is the lowest in a home game since they sank 19 in a loss to Tennessee on February 2, 2022.

• The Tiger’s tied their season low for rebounds, only grabbing 23 boards against the Aggies. 

• Nick Honor is the first player since Jordan Geist February 13, 2018 to play at least 29 minutes and not register a single point in a home game.

• Mizzou converted less than 50% of their layups, only sinking seven of their 15 attempts.

Mizzou Men’s Basketball Post-Game Notes vs. Utah State

Golden1 Center - Sacramento, Calif.

Final Score: Mizzou 76, Utah State 65

• The win is Mizzou’s first in the NCAA Tournament since 2010, snapping a six game losing streak.

• Mizzou is 23-0 this season when scoring at least 70.

• The 11-point win is Missouri’s largest margin of victory in March Madness since beating Memphis by 11 in 2009 in the Sweet 16.

• Thursday’s meeting was the programs first matchup since December 2, 1968, a ten-point Tigers win. Following the win, Mizzou leads the series against the Aggies 2-1.

• Mizzou’s win makes them 5-1 against the Mountain West Conference all-time.

• Missouri’s seven seed is their highest in the NCAA tournament since being a two seed in 2012.

• The game is Dennis Gates’ second appearance in March Madness and his first win. He previously led Cleveland State to the tournament as a 15 seed in 2021.

• Missouri’s perimeter defense shined early, as Utah State didn’t hit a three until 17:52 in the second half, missing their first 13 attempts. It was Utah State’s first game of the season not hitting a triple in the opening half. The Aggies finished the game shooting 16.7% from three, their seventh loss this season when being held under 35% from behind the arc.

• D’Moi Hodge (23), Kobe Brown (19), Dre Gholston (11), and Noah Carter (10) all reached double-digits points in the contest. The last time four Tigers logged at least 10 points in an NCAA tournament game was against Colorado State in 2013.

• Noah Carter’s six defensive rebounds tied his season high, set versus Alabama on January 21.

• Kobe Brown impressed on both ends of the floor, logging 19 points and eight defensive rebounds. No Tiger has reached those marks in a tournament game since Arthur Johnson dropped 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 2003 against Marquette.

• D’Moi Hodge continued to play his style of basketball, hitting five threes and grabbing four steals in the contest. Hodge is one of five players to hit both of those marks in an NCAA tournament game since 2019, and the first Mizzou player ever to do so.

• Hodge’s 23 points marks this third straight game leading Mizzou his points, and his ninth time this season.

• Kobe Brown’s 7-for-8 day from the field is the best shooting performance by a Mizzou player attempting at least eight shots in March Madness ever.