Graduate students Sean East II and Noah Carter took the spotlight for Missouri on Tuesday night. MU secured a 71-64 victory over Pittsburgh at Petersen Events Center in the inaugural SEC/ACC Challenge. With this win, the Tigers advanced to a 6-2 record for the season, setting the stage for their upcoming matchup against Wichita State on Sunday. Let’s delve into the standout performances of the two players.
Photo Cred: YouTube- The Field of 68 Podcast Network
Sean East II
East showcased another stellar performance on Tuesday, contributing 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists to propel MU to victory.
The Louisville, Kentucky native delivered crucial plays when the team needed them the most. East sank a three-pointer to extend Missouri’s lead to 62-52 with 5:58 remaining in the contest. This marked their largest lead of the night. In addition, the graduate student executed a floater off Caleb Grill’s assist earlier in the half, giving the Tigers a 50-44 lead. It prompted Panthers’ head coach Jeff Capel III to call a timeout after an 8-0 Mizzou run.
Photo Cred: Missouri Athletics
MU benefited significantly from East’s passing prowess in the first half. Three of his four assists came in the initial 20 minutes of the matchup, including finding Grill for a layup early in the game. The former Bradley Brave also connected with Carter on two baskets late in the first half. One of them was under the basket and the other was a three-pointer that narrowed Pitt’s lead to 29-28 with 3:55 remaining in the first half. East’s most pivotal assist of the game came in the second half when he found sophomore Aidan Shaw for an alley-oop dunk, which extended Missouri’s lead to 64-54 with 5:21 left in the game.
As the starting guard, East played a key role in closing out the contest. He grabbed a pivotal rebound off Pittsburgh guard Ishmael Leggett’s missed three-pointer with 26 seconds remaining when Mizzou held a 68-64 lead. The second-year Missouri Tiger proceeded to sink three consecutive shots from the charity stripe on two separate trips, effectively sealing the game.
Noah Carter
Carter also delivered a strong performance on Tuesday night, contributing 13 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. The Northern Iowa transfer made impactful plays early and down the stretch for the Tigers.
Alongside his five points assisted by East, Carter made three additional field goals. The forward started with a layup that gave Mizzou their first points of the game. He continued to finish around the rim around 42 seconds into the second half, even scoring a layup on a fast break assisted by freshman guard Anthony Robinson after a steal. The basket provided the Tigers with a 47-44 lead with 14:20 remaining in the game.
Photo Cred: Yahoo Sports
The forward’s most critical assist of the game came towards the end of the contest. After an 8-0 run by the Panthers, Carter delivered the ball to Grill under the basket for a layup. The bucket came right out of a timeout and gave the Tigers a 66-62 lead with 2:06 remaining. Carter also found center Connor Vanover for an alley-oop dunk in the first half.
Throughout the matchup, Carter secured eight rebounds, all from the defensive side of the ball. The former Northern Iowa Panther grabbed five rebounds in the first half and three in the second half, including one with 17 seconds remaining to conclude the game.
