Missouri certainly showed why it can be a dangerous team in the NCAA Tournament as it tangled with Utah State in a 7-10 matchup on Thursday afternoon.

The Tigers built an 11-point lead multiple times as they shot 51% from the field, and prevailed 76-65.

Mizzou was largely fueled by a big game from D’Moi Hodge, who poured in 23 points. There were 4 Tigers in double figures, including Kobe Brown with 19 points and 8 rebounds, DeAndre Gholston had 11 points, and Noah Carter added 10. It’s Mizzou’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2010.

Another story in the game was Mizzou’s 3-point defense, as Utah State was just 4-for-24 from long range in the game. Utah State didn’t make a 3-pointer in the first half.

It was a dramatic turnaround for a program and first-year coach Dennis Gates after the Tigers were 12-21 last season, and improved this season to 25-9.

Mizzou will play the winner of Princeton-Arizona on Saturday.