Lawrence, KS- The refs were the story of the game. The refs decided the game. The refs were ever present throughout the game. Eight of the first ten fouls in the second half were against Mizzou, as Kansas extended what was a 4-pt halftime lead to a comfortable 17-pt win at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. Normally, I discourage ripping of officials, but after that game, there isn't a soul on the planet that can say that the second half was called fair. Mizzou finished the second half with 16 team fouls, compared to Kansas' nine. Three Mizzou players fouled out- Laurence Bowers, Ricardo Ratliffe and Phil Pressey.The 20th-ranked Tigers started the game strong, leading throughout most of the first half. They led by as much as 6 over the second-ranked Jayhawks. The trailed by four at the half, but after that, the referees stepped up the whistles. Markiff Morris of Kansas was charged with an intentional foul as he gave a forearm to Mizzou's Justin Safford. This call was critical, because it was only INTENTIONAL. The call should have been flagrant and Morris should have been ejected from the game.
Tigers were led offensively by Laurence Bowers, with 19. Phil Pressey finished with 17, Ratliffe with 12. Denmon and Matt Pressey finished with 11 each. Kim English netted 6 off the bench, with Justin Safford and Michael Dixon tallying 5 points each.
The Tigers remain winless on the road, fall to 4-5 in conference, and 18-6 overall with the 86-103 loss.
Kansas leads the all-time series in the basketball Border War, now 170-69, with the season closer in Columbia coming up on March 5th.
