The Missouri Tigers men's basketball team looks to extend its winning streak to double digits tonight when it hosts Jacksonville State at Mizzou Arena.
The Tigers (9-1) and Gamecocks (6-4) will tip at 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network-Plus). It's the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
After opening the season with a loss at Memphis, Missouri has won nine consecutive home games, including victories against California and Kansas.
The Tigers are coming off an 88-61 victory Saturday against Long Island University.
Missouri is fourth in the nation in scoring a 89.3 points per game and is second in scoring margin at plus-23.1 points. The Tigers have scored at least 75 points in all 10 games this season, their longest run since a 14-game streak in the 2011-12 season.
Tamar Bates leads three Tigers averaging in double figures with 13.3 points. Mark Mitchell is next at 13.0, with Anthony Robinson totaling 11.5 points per contest. Robinson leads Missouri with 4.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
Jacksonville State, a member of Conference USA located in Jacksonville, Ala., is coming off a 70-66 home win Saturday against Utah Valley. The Gamecocks had dropped three of their previous four games before that win.
The four losses by Jacksonville State have come by a combined 16 points.
Jacksonville State is 1-43 all-time against Southeastern Conference teams. The lone win was a 67-64 decision against Alabama in the 1954-55 season.
Jason Pierre Jr. of the Gamecocks is fourth in the country in scoring at 23.2 points per game. The 6-foot-5 redshirt senior guard is one of two players in the NCAA to average 20-plus points, five-plus rebounds and four-plus assists in the game. Rutgers standout freshman Dylan Harper is the other. Pierre redshirted last season at Wichita State after playing one season the Shockers. He started his collegiate career with two seasons at Southern Miss.
Missouri is just outside in the AP Top 25 rankings released Monday, coming in at the No. 28 spot.
The SEC has eight of the teams in the Top 25 as well as the next three just out of the rankings, with Mississippi State and Arkansas finishing just ahead of Missouri.
Missouri will head Sunday to St. Louis to take on Illinois at noon (ESPN) in the annual Braggin' Rights game at the Enterprise Center.