Preview: Missouri Tigers at LSU Tigers

BATON ROUGE, La. (Interstat) — Two Tigers teams trending in opposite directions will meet Saturday when the Missouri Tigers visit the LSU Tigers in a Southeastern Conference men’s basketball matchup at the Maravich Assembly Center.

Missouri (13-4, 3-1 SEC) arrives with momentum, having won three of its last four conference games, including an 84-74 victory over Auburn on Wednesday. LSU (12-5, 0-4), meanwhile, is seeking its first league win amid a four-game SEC skid, most recently a heartbreaking 75-74 home loss to Kentucky.

The contest features a marquee backcourt matchup. Missouri is led by guard Jayden Stone, who is averaging 16.8 points per game in SEC play. He scored 22 points in the win over Auburn and dropped 20 in a road victory at Kentucky last week. His backcourt play will be critical against an LSU defense looking to spark a turnaround.

LSU will counter with guard Rashad King, who posted 12 points and two blocks against Kentucky. King has shown flashes of high-level scoring, including a 13-point performance against Prairie View last month, and the Tigers will need a consistent offensive outburst from him to snap their losing streak.

Missouri’s recent success has been bolstered by strong performances from forwards Trent Pierce and Mark Mitchell, who combined for 38 points against Auburn. LSU’s offense has relied on Marquel Sutton and Max Mackinnon, who each scored 16 in the narrow loss to Kentucky.

Despite their conference record, LSU’s losses have been close, with three of the four defeats coming by five points or fewer. Missouri has proven capable on the road, winning at Kentucky earlier this month, but faces a desperate LSU squad at home.

The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. CST Saturday. Missouri hosts Georgia next Tuesday, while LSU travels to face Florida.