COLUMBIA, Mo. — In an impressive performance, Marques Warrick contributed significantly to Missouri’s victory by scoring 11 of his total 16 points in the first half. The Tigers surged ahead to claim a commanding 111-39 victory against Mississippi Valley State on Thursday night, achieving a record margin of 72 points that ties the largest in the program’s history.
This win marks Missouri’s most substantial margin since their 1995 game, where they defeated Chicago State 117-45. The Tigers also previously secured a 106-34 victory over MacMurray back in 1976. Alongside Warrick, teammates Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates each tallied 15 points, while Mark Mitchell added 13 points. Marcus Allen and Annor Boateng both contributed with 10 points for Missouri, which now holds a record of 3-1 for the season. The team displayed exceptional shooting, hitting 15 of their 31 three-point attempts and achieving an overall shooting percentage of 57%. The Delta Devils faltered with 23 turnovers, allowing Missouri to capitalize with a staggering 45-2 scoring advantage off those mistakes.
The leading scorer for Mississippi Valley State was Arthur Tate, who managed to put up 10 points. Missouri had a commanding lead of 32 points at halftime, and they wasted no time in the second half, starting with the first 15 points to extend their lead to 66-19. The Tigers reached the 100-point mark with just under five minutes remaining in a dominating 17-0 scoring streak.
The game began with MVSU scoring first, but Missouri quickly retaliated with 12 consecutive points. A subsequent 12-0 run, featuring three-pointers from Grill, Jacob Crews, and Bates, pushed the margin to 30 points with just over six minutes left in the first half, concluding the half with Missouri leading 51-19. This game marked the third of a 10-game homestand for the Tigers.
Conversely, for Mississippi Valley State, this matchup was the kickoff to a challenging six-game road trip that will see them face off against Texas, Kansas State, BYU, Utah, and UC Santa Barbara before they return home.