THE MISSOURI TIGERS DIDN'T HAVE THE SHOOTING ONE WOULD HOPE FOR BUT WERE ABLE TO BEGIN A NEW HOME COURT WINNING STREAK WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THEY HELD OFF A PESKY IOWA STATE CLUB 65-56.
SENIOR GUARD J.T. TILLER HAD A SEASON BEST 17 POINTS DESPITE A BROKEN NOSE. THE TIGERS GOT SOME HELP FROM INSIDE WITH JUSTIN SAFFORD SCORING 13 POINTS AND SNAGGING NINE REBOUNDS TO GO ALONG WITH LAURENCE BOWERS WHO SCORED 13 AND GRABBED 12 REBOUNDS.
THE TIGERS DEFENSE HELD IOWA STATE SCORING STAR CRAIG BRACKINS TO JUST 12 POINTS AND 14 REBOUNDS, HIS NINTH DOUBLE-DOUBLE OF THE SEASON.
MIZZOU WAS JUST 4 OF 20 FROM OUTSIDE IN THE GAME AND HAD TO HOLD OFF MULTIPLE CHARGES FROM THE CYCLONES.
ISU PULLED TO WITHIN ONE POINT ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS IN THE SECOND HALF ONLY TO FADE LATE AS THE TIGERS MOVED INTO A THREE WAY TIE FOR SECOND PLACE IN THE BIG 12.
THE TIGERS AT 6-3 IN LEAGUE PLAY ARE TIED WITH KANSAS STATE AND TEXAS A&M IN THE BIG 12 STANDINGS THREE GAMES BACK OF NUMBER ONE IN THE NATION KANSAS.
IOWA STATE FALLS TO 2-7 IN THE CONFERENCE, PLACING THEM IN A TIE WITH COLORADO FOR TENTH PLACE.
THE ONLY OTHER GAME IN THE BIG 12 LAST NIGHT HAD NUMBER 25 BAYLOR KNOCKING OFF THE NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS 55-53.
THE BEARS NEEDED A BUCKET BY BIG MAN EKPE UDOH WITH 25 SECONDS REMAINING AND TWO BIG DEFENSIVE PLAYS BY QUINCY ACY TO KNOCK OFF THE HUSKERS.
LACEDARIUS DUNN LED THE BEARS WITH 19 POINTS WHILE UDOH WAS JUST SHY OF A TRIPLE DOUBLE WITH EIGHT POINTS, NINE REBOUNDS AND SIX BLOCKED SHOTS.
THE BEARS SIT 5-4 IN LEAGUE ACTION TIED WITH TEXAS FOR FIFTH PLACE ONE GAME BACK OF THE THREE WAY TIE FOR SECOND PLACE.
THE BAYLOR BEARS WILL HOST THE MISSOURI TIGERS ON SATURDAY IN A BIG TIME BIG 12 BATTLE. KANSAS IS HOSTING IOWA STATE AND K-STATE WILL HOST COLORADO.
