Mizzou cruises past Cleveland State, wins 86-59

Missouri men’s basketball breezed to its eighth straight victory to open up the 2025 season with an 86-59 victory Friday over Cleveland State.

The matchup was head coach Dennis Gates’ first against the Vikings, his former team, who are now coached by former MU assistant Rob Summers.

The Tigers scored the opening 23 points of the game and prevented the visitors from recording a made field goal until nearly halfway through the first half.

Mizzou used its height and length to again overpower a mid-major opponent, finishing the game with a 47-26 lead in rebounds and 18 offensive boards. Those translated to 21 second-chance points, and the Tigers paired that with 40 points in the paint to make up the bulk of their scoring.

MU took its foot off the gas soon after Cleveland State got on the board, allowing the visitors to keep the margin around 20 points for most of the contest.

Mizzou’s offensive production was dampened by a rare off-night from beyond the arc, shooting just 27 percent from three, and 16 turnovers as the Tigers’ handles loosened once the game was in control.

The Vikings also caught fire from three in the second half as MU’s perimeter defense relaxed, shooting 8-for-14 from beyond the arc over the final 20 minutes.

Jacob Crews again played a key role off the bench and led Mizzou in scoring, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting alongside 8 rebounds. Two other Tigers forwards, Mark Mitchell and Luke Northweather, ended the game in double digits with 10 points each.

Sebastian Mack and Annor Boateng also ended the game with exactly 10 points, giving MU five scorers in double-digits.

The win moves Mizzou to 8-0 on the season, with the last seven of those victories coming at home. That streak ends next game when the Tigers travel to face Notre Dame in South Bend.

MU tips off against the Fighting Irish at 8 p.m. central time Tuesday. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.