Missouri left much to be desired in its 68-55 season-opening win over Central Arkansas. The Tigers struggled to score throughout the game and let the Bears cut MU’s lead to single digits multiple times.
But Tigers head coach Cuonzo Martin was not ready to push the panic button on Tuesday night, even with a road game at Iowa State looming on Friday night. Missouri shot 42 percent from the field and just 31 percent and 46 percent from the three-point and free-throw lines, respectively.
Illinois transfer Mark Smith led the Tigers in scoring Tuesday with 19 points and a career-high 10 rebounds and was the lone MU newcomer to make a significant impact on offense.