Missouri guard Annor Boateng advances the ball up the court during an exhibition game against Kansas State on Friday (copy)

Missouri guard Annor Boateng advances the ball up the court during an exhibition game against Kansas State on Oct. 25 at Mizzou Arena. Boateng made his second start of the season Thursday night vs. Alabama State.

Mizzou men’s basketball is set to face its ninth and final mid-major opponent of the season when it takes on Bethune-Cookman at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mizzou Arena.

The Tigers rebounded from back-to-back losses against Notre Dame and now-No. 19 Kansas with an 85-77 win over Alabama State. Bethune-Cookman (3-6) will serve as Mizzou’s final tuneup before taking on No. 13 Illinois on Dec. 22, followed by No. 18 Florida on Jan. 3 and Kentucky on Jan. 7.

Mizzou coach Dennis Gates spoke this week about the challenge of playing a complete game.

“We have a tough Bethune-Cookman team coming in here on Sunday who took Auburn to overtime,” Gates said. “We gotta be able to continue to play for a full 40 minutes, and we hadn’t done that yet this season.”

Despite Bethune-Cookman’s record, it nearly scored an opening night victory over Auburn, falling 95-90 in overtime.

The Wildcats have been led by senior guard Jakobi Heady, who is scoring 15.6 points per game and grabbing 5.4 boards nightly.

Bethune-Cookman’s last win came Dec. 3 against a common opponent of Mizzou. The Wildcats defeated South Carolina State 80-59 to end a three-game losing streak.

In the last two games, Gates has experimented with new lineup combinations. Sophomore guard Annor Boateng has now earned two consecutive starts, replacing junior guard Sebastian Mack. Boateng spoke about elevating his play in his second year at Mizzou.

“Just for me, just my overall patience with playing the game, being able to recognize certain defenses — especially on offense — and just slowing down,” Boateng said. “Also limiting my turnovers as well. I feel like I came a long way from doing that.”

Graduate guard Jacob Crews made his first career start in a Mizzou uniform in the win over Alabama State. Crews cashed in on the opportunity, shooting a blistering 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. He has now made 34 3-pointers on the season. He is making steady progress on the 100 made 3s that Gates set as a goal for him before the season.

“I think Crews is doing a great job,” Gates said. “He’s one of the nation’s leading 3-point shooters.”

Mizzou takes on Bethune-Cookman at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mizzou Arena.

Originally published on columbiamissourian.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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