COLUMBIA, Mo. — In a dominant performance, Missouri triumphed over Pacific with a score of 91-56 on Friday evening. Reserve player Caleb Grill was a key contributor, netting 25 points on a 9-for-12 shooting effort, while Tamar Bates also added 11 points to the team’s total. Missouri showcased their three-point shooting prowess, successfully making 14 out of 30 attempts from beyond the arc.

For Pacific, Elias Ralph led the charge with 19 points, followed by Seth Jones who contributed 15 points to the effort. The game started with Pacific’s Elijah Fisher hitting a three-pointer, giving them an early 5-0 lead. Fisher continued to score with consecutive layups, helping Pacific maintain a 9-4 edge before Missouri began to take control of the match.

Grill, who had previously set a career-high with 33 points against Eastern Washington just over a week ago, initiated Missouri’s comeback with a layup. Marques Warrick added two free throws and a three-pointer, flipping the score to 11-9 in favor of Missouri. Following a jumper from Jazz Gardner that tied the game, Missouri responded with a significant 16-4 run. This run was capped off by Josh Gray’s three-pointer with 8:17 remaining in the first half, extending Missouri’s lead to 27-15.

With 6:15 left before halftime, Anthony Robinson II hit a three-pointer, bringing the score to 32-20, and from that moment on, Missouri maintained a double-digit lead for the rest of the game.

This matchup marked the third encounter between the two teams and their first in over five decades. Interestingly, the home team has won each installment, with Pacific taking their turn in 1966, while Missouri claimed victory in 1971. This game also marked Missouri’s sixth meeting against a team from the West Coast Conference, the first occurring in the last 20 years. Historically, Missouri holds a record of 2-4 against the WCC and had last faced a WCC opponent in 2004, defeating No. 12 Gonzaga at Mizzou Arena.