Columbia, MO- The University of Missouri Tiger basketball team returned home after a heartbreaking overtime loss to Texas A&M in College Station for a game against conference foe Kansas State. The Wildcats came into the season ranked 3rd and predicted to win the Big XII Championship. K-State has gone 4-4 in their last eight games coming into today's match up, televised nationally on ESPN.
The Tigers enter the game at 15-3, 1-2 in conference play. Losses to Georgetown (102-111 F/OT), Colorado (66-79) and TAMU (89-91 F/OT) are the only blemishes on an otherwise excellent season. The 14th ranked Tigers took on the 24th ranked Wildcats in front of a sold out crowd. Mizzou struggled at the beginning of the game offensively, but opened up a 15-pt halftime lead. The Wildcats were able to bring it to within three, but that was the closest they would get, as in the last 8:00 minutes of the game, the Tigers went on a 17-4 run, including 3-point buckets from guards Kim English and Marcus Denmon, who led Mizzou with 14 points. Phil Pressey, who was electric in the TAMU loss contributed 10 points and became the first Tiger since Anthony Peeler to have three consecutive 7+ assist games, including a highlight reel assist to Laurence Bowers on a 4-2 Tiger break late in the game.The Tigers win in Columbia 75-59 over the Wildcats, who have now gone 4-5 in the last 9 games. The Tigers improve to 16-3 and .500 in conference at 2-2. The Tigers take on the Cyclones of Iowa State on January 22nd at Mizzou Arena. The game is to be televised on ESPNU.
