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The No. 14 Missouri Tigers (20-7, 9-5) are looking to rebound from an upset loss as they host the South Carolina Gamecocks (11-16, 1-13) at 8 p.m. tonight (ESPNU).

Here’s a scouting report, some Mizzou notes, matchups to watch and what I think will lead to a Tiger win tonight.

The Gamecocks enter the matchup after finally claiming a conference win by beating Texas 84-69 on Saturday.

Before that, South Carolina had lost 13 consecutive games. In the non-conference schedule, the Gamecocks took a 91-88 overtime win against then-No. 25 Clemson, and beat Boston College and Virginia Tech, while losing to Xavier and Indiana.

While South Carolina hadn’t won a conference game before Saturday, it wasn’t uncompetitive in the earlier matchups.

It lost to then-No. 2 Auburn just 66-63, lost to Vanderbilt by the same score, lost to then-No. 5 Florida just 70-69, took then-No. 14 Mississippi State to overtime before dropping a 65-60 game, lost to then-No. 13 Texas A&M just 76-72 and then-No. 19 Ole Miss just 72-68.

But almost all of those close matchups came at home in the other Columbia. On the road, the Gamecocks lost by 35, 20, three, 11, 23, 21 and 14.

South Carolina averages 70.1 points per game on offense and allows 70.8. In conference play, those numbers are 65 points scored and 75.6 points allowed per contest.

South Carolina shoots 43.2 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from 3 while averaging 6.7 made 3-pointers per game, and 70.2 percent from the free-throw line with an average of 16.7 made free throws per game.

Gamecock opponents have shot 44.9 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from 3 and 70.8 percent from the free-throw line. South Carolina averages seven made 3-pointers allowed and 12.1 made free throws allowed.

Sophomore forward Collin Murray-Boyles (6-foot-8, 245 pounds) leads the Gamecocks with 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while also dishing out 2.41 assists per game, blocking 1.52 shots per contest and poking away 1.44 steals per game.

Senior guard Jamarii Thomas (5-11, 190) adds 13.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and a team-high 3.17 assists per contest.

Graduate forward Nick Pringle (6-10, 220) has started all 27 games for the Gamecocks and averages 9.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while senior guard Jacobi Wright (6-2, 185) has started 26-of-27 games.

The fifth spot in the South Carolina lineup has rotated a bit after senior guard Myles Stute (6-6, 210) began to miss time with a leg injury.

Former Tiger Jordan Butler (7-0, 240 pound sophomore forward) has appeared in 23 games and averages 1.4 points per game. He has taken 26 shots this season with 25 coming on 3-point attempts. He has not attempted a field goal from inside the arc since early November.

The two Columbia teams are tied at nine in the all-time series with South Carolina winning the past two matchups, both coming last season.

Tamar Bates is on pace to become the first Tiger ever to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 90 percent at the free-throw line … The Tigers have already won 17 games at home this season, tying for the most nationally and one short of tying Missouri’s program record … Mark Mitchell is averaging 19.8 points per game the past five games and is shooting 60.7 percent from the field during that stretch … Missouri has scored 80 points in four straight SEC games, the first time it has hit that mark since 2013. The Tigers haven’t done it in five straight games since 1989.

Mizzou’s interior defense vs. Collin Murray-Boyles

The Tigers have struggled a bit with strong interior presences.

Whether it was Johni Broome of Auburn or Asa Newell of Georgia or Zvonimir Ivisic of Arkansas, quality offensive players who can attack the rim have given the Tigers fits at times.

Murray-Boyles is most of the good parts of South Carolina’s teams this year, if he’s able to get going, it could be a tougher night than it needs to be for Missouri.

If the Tigers are able to effectively contain him, they should be able to use this as a get-right game.

Caleb Grill vs anybody

I don’t think it’s a hot take to say that Caleb Grill’s success leads to Tiger success. Missouri is 10-0 when he scores at least 15 points.

He’s struggled a bit recently, at least comparatively to how he was playing early in the conference season, and he really struggled against Arkansas.

Dennis Gates reiterated his faith in Grill to just keep shooting and I think that’s the right move, let him get himself out of his funk.

But now there’s at least some tape on how to guard him. Whether South Carolina has the ability to follow that blueprint is the question.

Focus.

Simple as that when sloppy play and laziness was what sank the early going against Arkansas.

This is as good of a get-right opportunity as you can get in the SEC, so the Tigers should just need to come in focused and show that Saturday’s loss was the late-season wake-up call that ignites the team going into the postseason.

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