Published: Thursday, November 26, 2009
Updated: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 10:13 AM CST

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Frontcourt scoring was supposed to be Missouri’s question mark. In the Tigers’ regular-season opener on Tuesday night, it was more like an exclamation point.

Forward Laurence Bowers came off the bench to score 16 points and Keith Ramsey added a career-high 15 as Missouri rolled to an 83-68 victory over Tennessee-Martin.

After losing forwards DeMarre Carroll (16.6 points a game in 2008-09) and Leo Lyons (14.6) from a squad that finished one game from the Final Four, Missouri (1-0) needed contributions from such players as Bowers and Steve Moore, both sophomores, and Ramsey, a senior. None of them averaged more than 14 minutes last year.

It appeared Tuesday that they were ready to assume the responsibility. Bowers, who last year was known more for his explosive dunking than all-around play, had a career-high eight rebounds and blocked four shots.

“I came into this year trying to be an all-around guy,” Bowers said. “I didn’t want to base my game on offense or highlight plays.”

Missouri coach Mike Anderson said of Bowers, “He’s not just a dunker anymore. People are going to have to guard him.”

The 6-foot-9 Moore dropped 40 pounds during the off-season to get down to a listed weight of 264. He had a career-high seven points in 18 minutes.

“I can compete (more) this year versus last year,” Moore said. “I was a lot heavier. I’m a hundred times more ready.”

The Tigers had 45 points off the bench.

“I think it was a team effort,” Anderson said. “They all really wear and tear.”

UT-Martin (0-2) kept the game somewhat close in the first half, trailing by 12 at halftime thanks in part to 13 points from junior Benzor Simmons, who finished with a game-high 30. But with only eight players dressed, the Skyhawks wore down, committing 23 turnovers.

Junior guard Reuben Clayton, UT-Martin’s leading scorer in its opener against Southern Illinois, was not in uniform. Neither was top returning scorer Marquis Weddle, who is ineligible until at least Christmas.

“We just got worn down,” first-year Skyhawks coach Jason James said. “We couldn’t run guys in like we wanted to, and as they kept pressing, our guys got tired.”

Missouri got 10 points from sophomore Marcus Denmon and seven from highly-touted freshman Michael Dixon.

The Tigers had a scary moment when senior guard and 2008-09 Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year J.T. Tiller left the game after a hard foul from 6-foot-10 Skyhawks center Dominique Mpondo with 17:28 remaining.

Tiller suffered a sprained left foot and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.

“He does so much for our basketball team,” Anderson said. “It was very evident that he was not on the floor.”