Cleveland State men's basketball (3-6, 0-0 Horizon League) fell to Missouri (8-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference), 86-59, on Friday afternoon at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri.

Despite the final score, Cleveland State  played a more composed game after struggling during the opening stretch. Head coach Rob Summers said he was encouraged by the team's response once they settled in.

“After the first nine minutes, I thought our guys really settled in and competed with toughness,” Summers said. “Missouri is a talented team, and they made us pay early, but I’m proud of how we responded and continued to battle. Coach (Dennis) Gates ** has been instrumental in my journey, and competing against him tonight was an honor.”

CSU sophomore forward Dayan Nessah led the Vikings with 14 points and nine rebounds, finishing 5-of-10 from the field and making one three-pointer

Senior guard Jaidon Lipscomb added 12 points, all coming from behind the three-point line. Lipscomb had a team-high three assists.

Junior guard David Giddens was a team-best +5 in the plus/minus category and added five points, three rebounds and one assist.

CSU shot 36.8% (21-57) from the field and 37.9% (11-29) from three-point range. Missouri shot 47.8% overall and 28.9% from deep. The Vikings improved after halftime, shooting 57.1% from three-point range in the second half.

Cleveland State finished with 26 rebounds including nine on the offensive end and 12 assists on its 21 field goals.

WHAT'S NEXT? The Vikings open Horizon League play Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Northern Kentucky. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+. The game will also air on Sportsradio 99.1 with Al Pawlowski on the call.

** Dennis Gates coached at Cleveland State from 2019 to 2022, leading the program to two Horizon League regular season titles and an NCAA Tournament berth. He was hired as the head coach for the University of Missouri in 2022.