Mizzou wins its first NCAA Tournament game since 2010. Here’s how the Tigers beat Utah State

Missouri’s Noah Carter (35) watches his layup fall through the hoop during the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on March 16, 2023, in Sacramento, Cali.

It’s been 4,745 days since the Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team won a game in the NCAA Tournament.

Strike the clock back to zero.

The Tigers blitzed Utah State with a second-half onslaught to win 76-65 and advance to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. D’Moi Hodge led all scorers with 23 points.

Missouri’s time in the dance came early. MU played the 10:40 a.m. slot in Sacramento. It didn’t slow the Tigers down. MU took advantage of Utah State’s cold shooting early and led early.

Foul trouble and missed shots allowed the Aggies to creep back into the game. But, the Tigers pulled away with its best player doing what he does best.

The best player takes over the season’s biggest game

With Utah State taking the lead in the second half, Missouri needed some offense. Gates needed instant offense. Look no further than Brown.

What can Brown do for you? Score a lot in a short amount of time.

Brown scored 13 points in the second half to finish the game with 19. When the lights shined bright, Brown answered the call.

It wasn’t just bullying in the post. Brown took contested 3-pointers. He established himself as the best player on the court in an NCAA Tournament game.

Early foul trouble puts MU in a hole

The first half would have been a chance for the Tigers to go up eight or 10 points, but MU kept committing bad fouls.

Sean East committed a foul around 60 feet away from the basket. Aidan Shaw picked up two fouls in his five minutes of game action. Brown had two fouls, too.

That allowed Utah State to find its go-to inside. The Aggies may not have made a 3-pointer but they made 13 of their 17 shots from inside the arc. With the Tigers in foul trouble, they struggled to stay aggressive on the defensive end as the first half wore on.

Carter continues his scoring stretch

Coming into March Madness, Noah Carter scored double figures in points in five of the last six games. Make that six of his last seven.

Carter had 10 points in the first half, as he sparked MU’s offense early. He finished the game with 10, but was clearly a catalyst early.

Story continues

Carter was also a force on the boards, finishing with six rebounds. His play has improved in the last handful of games for MU, and that’s a boon for a team that’s always in need of players lending a hand to Brown and Hodge.

Hodge and Brown combined for over 20 points in the second half.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou wins its first NCAA Tournament game since 2010. Here’s how the Tigers beat Utah State