The Missouri Tigers take the Cancun Challenge
The No. 12 Missouri Tigers (4-0) have started their season off on a positive note, defeating the La Salle Explorers on Wednesday 24 November, 83-71, capturing the Cancun Challenge tournament championship.
The Tigers were helmed by reserve guard Marcus Denmon, who led Mizzou with a season-high 21 points off the bench in the tournament’s finale.
Denmon, a junior who had normally been in the starting line-up for the Tigers, came off the bench for the first time this season after struggling with his production in the team’s first three contests. Still, the guard, who was named the tournament’s most valuable
player, doesn't want to watch the tip-off from the bench for the remainder of the year.
“It’s not a role that I want to get back accustomed to,” Denmon told reporters afterward, according to
The Associated Press. “I just want to do whatever I can do to help the team win.”
He certainly did enough to help lead his team to victory on Wednesday night, hitting seven of his 12 attempts from the floor in the Tigers’ win over a pesky La Salle squad.
Denmon also went five for seven from behind the three-point line, one of which helped Mizzou pull ahead with about eight minutes remaining. Despite the Explorers best attempts, it was a lead that the Tigers would not relinquish.
Surrounded by a bevy of freshmen and first-year transfers, Denmon took charge of the Tigers throughout, showing the poise and leadership that his coach has come to expect from his upperclassmen.
“That gave us more balance, and I thought he really came out and just kind of zeroed and focused in on playing well,” coach Mike Anderson said following the game. “I thought he did defensively as well as offensively.”
Anderson also concluded that although the victory was well earned, this season continues to be a work in progress as he attempts to determine the strengths and weaknesses of his young squad.
“I think that’s what you’re trying to learn in the early non-conference schedule, the different mixes and guys that are going to play well, and just trying to get the right combination because the most important component of our team is our bench.”
Still, it was apparent that Anderson was proud of his team’s effort, and happy to be leaving Cancun with an early season tournament victory.
“We were taking care of the ball, sharing the basketball and we had guys finishing, got to the free-throw line just as much as the opponent. And we out-rebounded them. You have those things going in your favour, most times you’re going to win. It’s a great
start for our team in terms of progressing in the right direction.”
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