Fifth-year senior guard Sean East II delivered an outstanding performance on Monday at Mizzou Arena. He scored 20 points and provided two assists in Missouri’s 68-50 victory over Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE). With this win, the Tigers improved to 2-1 on the season, gearing up for their upcoming matchup with Minnesota on Thursday in Minneapolis.
The guard showcased his prowess by shooting 8-for-11 (72%) from the field, including two successful three-pointers out of three attempts. 15 of his 20 points came in a dominant first half, which had head coach Dennis Gates praising East’s leadership.
“I thought he (East) led us emotionally,” Gates said. “You need to have guys like that who can lead and be a coach on the floor.”
In the first half, East scored seven straight points for MU, which is when they began to pull away. The Louisville, Kentucky native recorded two back-to-back layups, a three-pointer, and a fast-break layup in a three-minute time period to give Mizzou a commanding 30-23 lead with 4:26 remaining.
Photo Cred: Rock M Nation
The guard wasted no time making an impact, scoring four of Missouri’s initial 10 points within the first five minutes. East provided a spark for the Tigers when they were struggling early on offense.
The starting point guard continued to shine in the second half, adding five more points. In a key moment, the former Bradley Brave stole the ball and converted it into a fast-break layup with just over 11 minutes remaining. Towards the end of the game, East extended MU’s lead to 63-41 with a crucial three-pointer.
Not limited to scoring, East contributed to the team’s success by recording two assists that led to three-pointers in the matchup. He found forward Noah Carter for an open three-pointer to give the Tigers an 18-14 lead. Additionally, he assisted Caleb Grill on a fast break 26 seconds into the second half to put Missouri up 41-31.
When asked about his expanded role after three games this season, East humbly commented, “I am still figuring everything out. I just want to do everything that I have to do to help my team win games.”
Photo Cred: ABC17NEWS
