Missouri vs. SEMO recap: Tigers fend off Redhawks, 81-65

Following a slow start in the game's first 20 minutes, the Missouri Tigers responded to pull off an 81-65 victory over Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday night in Columbia.

Senior forward Laurence Bowers chipped in a career-high 26 points to lead the offense, as Frank Haith's team bounced back immediately after taking a 10-point deficit into the half. While four Southeast Missouri State players finished the night in double figures in scoring, the Redhawks struggled to maintain their hot-shooting start after the Tigers were able to make halftime adjustments.

In addition to dominating the glass for 15 offensive rebounds, the Tigers picked up strong performances from both Keion Bell and Tony Criswell off the bench. Though Haith opted to use only eight players on Tuesday, Criswell and Bell added 13 and 12 points to help pace the offense in a game that was tighter than the final score indicates. Bell played a season-high 32 minutes and hauled down a game-high 11 rebounds, and managed to hit double figures in scoring for the third straight game.

Next up for the No. 12-ranked Tigers is a game with Tennessee State of the Ohio Valley Conference on Saturday. The two teams will tip off at 2 p.m. CT this weekend at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, as Haith's team will be in search of its fourth consecutive victory.