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Game at a Glance

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After each Tiger game, we take a look at the highs and lows. Here's the report from Tuesday's 81-55 win over Miami (OH).

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Russell Woods notched his first double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds
Russell Woods notched his first double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds (Jordan Kodner)

TURNING POINT: After starting just 1-12 from three-point range, Missouri buried five from behind the arc in a four-minute span. The first came from Terrence Phillips with 13 seconds left in the first half to give Mizzou a 26-25 lead at the break. Out of halftime, Frankie Hughes made two and Cullen VanLeer followed with two of his own. In all, it was a 21-2 run spanning halftime that gave Missouri a 44-27 lead.

IT WAS OVER WHEN: For all intents and purposes, when Mizzou went up 17. But for good when the Tigers put on a 10-0 run after Miami (OH) had cut the lead to 62-50. Kim Anderson said he told the team in a timeout when it was up 20 that the final margin would be less than ten. It took a little bit, but the Tigers heeded their coach's advice and put the foot back on the gas for a 26-point final margin.

CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM: Missouri scored 55 points in the second half. The shots aren't always going to go in at that rate, but they haven't been going in at all lately. Mizzou had five straight halves of dreadful shooting before shooting 44% in the second half and making seven three-pointers. It's not scorching, but compared to the numbers it had put up in the previous two-and-a-half games it is.

CAUSE FOR CONCERN: Missouri continues to have stretches of games where the offense completely disappears. The Tigers were ahead 16-2...and then behind 25-23. There really shouldn't be any stretch where a team like Miami (OH) outscores you by 16 points. Not if you have designs on being very good.

STOCK UP: Defense. Missouri has given up more than 70 points just once this season, and that was in an overtime game against Xavier. In the last five games, the Tigers haven't given up more than 62. The average opposing score in that span is 59 points. That's going to win a lot of games, even when you can't shoot. Of course, the opposition is about to increase too.

STOCK DOWN: KJ Walton went just 1-6 from the floor and 0-4 from the free throw line in this one. He scored two points and had four rebounds. After a nice string of games, Walton has struggled in his last couple of outings. However, in the second half, he did fly head-over-heels over a courtside table chasing a loose ball, which is an indication the hustle and effort was still there. Consider it a blip on the radar, not a long-term cause for concern.

UP NEXT: Missouri gets Arizona for an 11 a.m. tipoff at Mizzou Arena on Saturday. The Wildcats are 6-2 as they face UC-Irvine on Tuesday night. Arizona has a win over Michigan State with losses to Butler and Gonzaga. School officials are hopeful the game can get a crowd of 9,000 for the premier home game of the season.

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