For the first time in a quarter-century, the Show Me Showdown returned to the Enterprise Center on Friday night, and the Saint Louis Billikens made it count. The Billikens controlled the tempo and the scoreboard for most of the evening, pulling away for a 90-84 victory over the Missouri Tigers in a hard-fought renewal of the in-state rivalry. The last three-game series between the programs, contested from 1999-2001, was decided by a combined nine points; Friday’s meeting proved another tight, competitive chapter.
Missouri briefly led 5-4 early, but that would prove to be its last lead of the night. Saint Louis, buoyed by a crowd that leaned heavily in its favor, pushed the advantage into double digits midway through the first half and never looked back. An 8-0 Tiger run briefly cut the deficit to one with just over eight minutes remaining before halftime, but Quentin Jones answered with a three-pointer to restore order. The Billikens took a 49-38 lead into the break after shooting 57.6 percent from the field and 9-of-16 from three-point range in the opening half. Trey Green scored 11 of his eventual 16 points before the break, Ishan Sharma added 11 of his own, and Jones knocked down three triples in the first 20 minutes.
The balance of Josh Schertz’s attack proved decisive. All five starters scored in double figures, led by 17 points apiece from junior forward Sharma and junior guard Amari McCottry. Green finished with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-8 from deep, along with six assists. Jones contributed 14 points (4-of-6 from three), five assists, and four rebounds, while Alon Michaeli posted a well-rounded line of 13 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. As a team, the Billikens finished 33-of-63 from the field (52.4 percent) and a scorching 14-of-25 from beyond the arc (56 percent), recording assists on 24 of their 33 field goals.
Missouri received strong individual efforts from Bryson Tiller, who led all scorers with 26 points and added nine rebounds and four blocks, and Mark Mitchell Jr., who scored 21 points on efficient 8-of-11 shooting. Jamier Jones added 13 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. However, the Tigers struggled with perimeter efficiency overall (8-of-24 from three) and received limited production from prized freshman Jason Crowe Jr., who managed just eight points on 3-of-18 shooting after a strong debut earlier in the week.
Saint Louis stretched the lead to 14 points (64-50) on a Sharma three-pointer with 14:03 remaining in the second half. Missouri gradually chipped away, pulling within six at 78-72 with under six minutes left. Jones answered with a clutch three to restore a nine-point cushion, and Kellen Thames followed with a basket to make it 83-74. The Tigers cut the margin to five (83-78) with 2:44 remaining, but after a defensive stop, Jones found Michaeli for a dunk with 1:47 left. Michaeli converted a layup at the 1:13 mark to push the lead to 87-79, then added three free throws in the final minute to secure the six-point victory.
Missouri forward Mark Mitchell acknowledged the challenge afterward, saying of Saint Louis: “We probably won’t play a team that plays like that the rest of the season.”
Both coaches spoke to the significance of the matchup itself. Missouri’s Dennis Gates offered, “I am proud of what I saw. Am I proud about the outcome? Not at all. But I’m proud about the fact that 99% of programs would avoid this game. So I’m proud that I put my team in this situation so we can figure out who we are, and we’ll see what it does for us.”
Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz returned the respect: “Much respect to Dennis (Gates) and Missouri for playing the game. Most people wouldn’t do this, because they worry about perception. … I have incredible respect for Dennis for taking on a game because 99.9% of coaches wouldn’t.”
The result improves Saint Louis to 2-0 on the young season while dropping Missouri to 1-1. The Billikens return home to Chaifetz Arena on Tuesday to face Northern Kentucky at 7 p.m., while the Tigers host SIU Edwardsville on Monday. After a 25-year hiatus, the revived series opened with a clear statement from the home side: the Billikens are prepared to contend for bragging rights in Missouri.
