The Missouri Tigers got off to a good start to the 2020-21 season with a win over Oral Roberts last week. On Wednesday night, they faced a much tougher test, taking on No. 21 Oregon in Omaha.

The Tigers got off to a hot start from long range, knocking down 6 3-pointers in the first half to take a 42-31 lead into halftime. An 18-3 first-half run really helped the Tigers pull away:

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After a cold start to the second half, Xavier Pinson took over. After putting up only 3 points in the first half, he scored 19 in the second to finish with a team-high 22 points in the Tigers’ 83-75 victory.

Pinson was 1 of 5 Tigers to finish with 10 or more points. Mark Smith (15), Javon Pickett (13), Jeremiah Tilmon (11) and Dru Smith (11) also hit double figures in Mizzou’s balanced offensive attack. All of those guys were key parts of Mizzou’s roster last year, and now they’re back with another year of experience under their belts.

Oregon’s Eugene Omoruyi put up an incredible 31-point, 11-rebound double-double, but it wasn’t enough for the Ducks, who lost their season-opener.

Due to the pandemic limiting practice time, experience and team chemistry are going to be even more important this season, and the Tigers have plenty of that. That makes them a dangerous team moving forward.

Mizzou’s next game is on Dec. 6 at Wichita State.