COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Kevin Puryear calls Missouri his “dream school.”

Now that the Blue Springs, Missouri, native is the leading scorer and rebounder for a school he grew up watching, Puryear really is living the dream.

Puryear scored 17 points, including 13 in the second half, and Missouri beat Northern Illinois 78-71 Friday night, handing the Huskies their first loss of the season.

“Missouri had the answer,” Huskies coach Mark Montgomery said. “They had different players that stepped up. They just made a few more plays than us.

“He’s a good player,” Montgomery said of Puryear. “I thought we had him scouted pretty well, but he found a way to make clutch shots.”

Puryear led a balanced scoring effort. Terrence Phillips had 13 points to go with six assists, Jakeenan Gant had 11 points and six rebounds, and Namon Wright added 10 points and five rebounds.

After shooting 1 for 3 in the first half, Puryear found a rhythm, shooting 5 for 7 in the second. He has reached double-digit scoring in six of his seven collegiate games.

NIU guard Marshawn Wilson led all scorers with 24 points, making all 10 of his free-throw attempts. Center Marin Maric finished with 14 points and a team-best seven rebounds.

After a quiet start, Travon Baker and Aaric Armstead combined for 16 points in the second half. Baker finished with 11 points and four rebounds, while Armstead had 10 points to go with five rebounds.

Missouri (4-3) took a one-point lead into halftime after opening on a 12-0 run. NIU (7-1) missed its first 10 shots before Maric made a layup five minutes into the first half.

NIU fought back, taking advantage of 11 first-half turnovers by Missouri. The Huskies scored 16 points off turnovers and 19 second-chance points.

“We were really sloppy down the stretch, which allowed them to get back in the game,” said Phillips, who had five of Missouri’s 15 turnovers. “We went into half, we calmed down, we came back and we just made plays in the second half.”

Phillips hit a jumper from the elbow, beginning a 15-7 run that lasted 3:02. The Tigers shot 6 for 9 during that stretch, capped by a 3-pointer from Cullen VanLeer, his only points.

Post play proved crucial for Missouri, which outscored NIU 32-24 in the paint and enjoyed a 38-34 rebounding advantage. Russell Woods added nine points and four rebounds in 15 minutes, tying his career highs. Center Ryan Rosburg had four points and seven rebounds, and Gant scored nine of his 11 points in the second half.

“The points in the paint, we’ve got to have it,” said Missouri coach Kim Anderson. “You’re not going to make jump shots every night. You’ve got to be able to pound it inside. The last two or three games, I guess we’ve gotten better at that.”

Rosburg, who saw limited playing time due to foul trouble, was impressed with Gant’s production.

“We see every day in practice, he’s capable of providing a big spark for us,” Rosburg said. “He can do a lot of things. He’s just so athletic and long. It was great to see him have some success tonight.”

—

TIP-INS

Missouri: In an 88-78 win over Arkansas State Tuesday, five Missouri players scored in double figures for the first time since 2012. Wright scored 14 points, Tramaine Isabell had 11 and Rosburg, Puryear and K.J. Walton each added 10… Free-throw shooting has been key for the Tigers, who average 22.2 free-throw attempts per game, up from 17.5 attempts per game last season.

Northern Illinois: This was only the second meeting between the schools. Missouri won the first meeting 97-61 on Dec. 27, 2010 in Columbia… NIU’s 7-0 start to the season is its best since a 9-0 start in 1994… The Huskies entered the game outscoring opponents by 19.1 points per game and outrebounding them by 12.3 rebounds per game.

COURTSIDE

Missouri head football coach Barry Odom addressed Mizzou Arena from half court during halftime. Athletic director Mack Rhoades announced yesterday that Odom, after his first year as defensive coordinator, would replace Gary Pinkel in 2016. Pinkel announced his retirement last month, having been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in May.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT

“I thought our guys executed well down the stretch,” Anderson said. “That’s really encouraging with a young team.”

UP NEXT

Missouri hosts Omaha next Wednesday.

NIU visits Ohio State Wednesday, Dec. 17.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri promoted defensive coordinator Barry Odom on Thursday to replace the retiring Gary Pinkel as head coach.

The school said in a release that Odom agreed in principle to a five-year deal that will need to be approved by the school’s board of curators next week.

“Coach Odom was the clear choice to serve as our next coach,” athletic director Mack Rhoades said. “He is a man of high integrity and possesses all the qualities you look for in a successful head coach.”

Pinkel announced last month he had cancer and was retiring after the season and also had a public farewell news conference. The Tigers finished 5-7 but the defense ranked ninth in the nation, the first top-10 finish for the school since the NCAA began tracking defensive statistics in 1978.

“I’m tremendously honored to have this opportunity,” Odom said. “Mizzou means the world to me and to my family, and we couldn’t be more proud and excited to be in this position.”

Odom was an assistant under Pinkel from 2009-11, then did a three-year stint as defensive coordinator at Memphis before returning to Missouri this season as defensive coordinator.

Odom also had been considered for the vacant spot at Memphis that went to Arizona State offensive coordinator Mike Norvell. Several players had endorsed Odom for the Missouri job.

The school said it conducted a “thorough national search” and that contract details would be released after the curators meet Dec. 10-11.

Odom played linebacker on two bowl teams for Larry Smith, Pinkel’s predecessor, from 1996-99. He had 362 tackles, seventh-most in school history, and was a captain his senior year.

He also served in an administrative capacity at the school from 2003-08.

The 63-year-old Pinkel was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in May and has been treated at the Mayo Clinic.

Others considered for the position included Cal’s Sonny Dykes, Houston’s Tom Herman and Toledo’s Matt Campbell, who took the Iowa State job.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – Mizzou Women’s Basketball (8-0) forced 22 turnovers and held Southeast Missouri (4-4) to 20 percent shooting from the field as the Tigers cruised to a 74-32 victory to remain undefeated Wednesday night at Mizzou Arena. The 8-0 start is the first for the Tigers since the 1982-83 season.

Mizzou went on a 41-2 run between the second and third periods to notch its sixth straight win over Southeast.

Freshman guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) led all scorers with 15 points, to go with six rebounds and three assists. Junior forward Jordan Frericks (Quincy, Ill.) added 13 points and freshman forward Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) tallied 12 points on the evening.

The Tigers raced out to an 18-8 first quarter lead courtesy of a relentless effort defensively, holding Southeast to its lowest first-quarter scoring output of the season. Mizzou also cashed in on some early Redhawks mistakes, converting nine turnovers into 16 points to take command early in the contest.

Mizzou complemented its dominant defense with a 21-point second quarter, finishing the period on a 14-0 run to carry a 39-15 lead into halftime. Porter entered the break with the best half of her career, scoring 12 points.

It was more of the same following the intermission, as Frericks tallied six early points and led the Tigers on a 12-0 run to begin the second half. In all, Mizzou scored 26 unanswered points between the second the third periods. The Tigers added another 15-0 run to close the third quarter, holding the Redhawks to only two points in the period.

Sophomore forward Bri Porter (Columbia, Mo.) added four points in the fourth quarter as the Tigers completed their eighth game of the season without a blemish in the loss column.

Mizzou will look to stay unbeaten on Dec. 7 as the Tigers take on Loyola Marymount at 7 p.m. CT at Mizzou Arena.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Namon Wright scored 14 points, including nine in the second half, helping Missouri defeat Arkansas State 88-78 on Tuesday night.

Arkansas State’s Devin Carter led all scorers with 24 points on 8-of 14-shooting. Carter entered the game averaging 15.5 points per game.

Tramaine Isabell scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting and K.J. Walton added 10 points and five rebounds as Missouri got 38 points from its bench.

The Tigers opened the game with a 13-0 run, holding Arkansas State scoreless for the first 6:06. Christian Davis put the Red Wolves on the board with a baseline jump shot, his only points of the game.

Missouri big men Ryan Rosburg and Kevin Puryear each scored 10 points, shooting a combined 9 of 16. Puryear added seven rebounds and Rosburg two. The Tigers (3-3) outscored the Red Wolves (2-5) 44-26 in the paint and won the rebound margin 43-39.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri is not interested in accepting a bowl bid after finishing the regular season 5-7.

Athletic director Mack Rhoades said Monday that the school would not seek permission to play another game. Rhoades said the focus was on finding a successor to coach Gary Pinkel, who is stepping down while batting non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“Following this weekend’s football games, there have been significant discussions nationally concerning 5-7 teams participating in bowl games,” Rhoades said. “After careful consideration, we have decided it is not in the best interest of our football program to seek permission from the NCAA to participate in a bowl game.”

There are a record 40 bowl games this season. NCAA officials say teams with 5-7 records will become eligible for at least two bowl bids, and as many as five, based on their Academic Progress Rates.

Missouri has reportedly named long-time assistant coach Andy Hill interim head coach.

Among the top candidates to succeed Pinkel are Temple coach Matt Rhule and Missouri defensive coordinator Barry Odom.

— Associated Press —

MORAGA, Calif. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball (7-0) shot 51 percent from the field and drained a season-high 14 shots from 3-point range to earn a 95-78 victory over host Saint Mary’s (5-1) on Saturday at the McKeon Pavilion. The Tigers earned the championship at the Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic as the only team in the 4-team field to win both games over the weekend.

“This was a big win,” head coach Robin Pingeton said. “Our ball movement was so good today and we shot the ball really well. Saint Mary’s has a nice team, and this was just a great team win.”

Jordan Frericks (Quincy, Ill.) was named Tournament MVP after scoring 18 points in both games of the classic along with a total of 14 rebounds. Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) also earned All-Tournament Team honors after scoring 30 points and grabbing 15 rebounds over the last two days.

The Tigers registered a season-high scoring total and set new high mark with 28 assists. The 28 assists are the most since registering the same total in a record-setting 126-55 victory vs. Bradley on Dec. 8, 2013. Mizzou also tied a season-best with 50 points in the first half, including 15 assists and 10 triples.

Mizzou never trailed after the 5:07 mark in the first quarter. Frericks finished with 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) also scored 18 points, including four baskets from long range. She also grabbed five rebounds and made two steals. Cierra Porter finished with 14 points and six boards.

For the game, Mizzou shot 51 percent (37-for-73) from the floor, 39 percent (14-for-36) from 3-point range and 64 percent (7-for-11) from the foul line. The Tigers held a 28-18 advantage in the paint, 18-10 lead in points off of turnovers and a 9-3 mark in fast break points.

Saint Mary’ shot 44 percent (23-for-52) from the field, 47 percent (8-for-17) from 3-point range and 73 percent (24-for-33) from the free throw line. The Gaels were led by Lauren Nicholson, who scored a game-high 24 points.

Mizzou returns home to Mizzou Arena for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff on Dec. 2 vs. Southeast Missouri.

— Mizzou Athletics —

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Alex Collins spent the entire regular season proving time and again he was up to the challenge of being Arkansas’ lead running back.

The Razorbacks junior saved one of his most complete performances for what could have been his final home game Friday, a rain-soaked 28-3 win that likely ended the Missouri career of coach Gary Pinkel.

Behind Collins’ 130 yards rushing and three touchdowns, Arkansas (7-5, 5-3 SEC) won for the fifth time in six games — securing its first winning SEC record since 2011.

The victory capped an up-and-down regular season for the Razorbacks, who rebounded from a 1/3 start to finish with a winning conference record for only the eighth time since joining the SEC in 1992.

“I wasn’t in a panic mode,” Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said of the slow start. “I knew we had a good team. I knew we were going to be able to do some things, and then to come out and play the way we have and to play as clean as we have, it’s been a learning experience for me.”

Leading the way for Arkansas’ resurgence was Collins, who had touchdown runs of 4, 7 and 25 yards in the convincing win and topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the ninth time this season. Collins now has 17 rushing touchdowns on the season, tied for second in school history behind Bill Burnett’s 19 in 1969, and he finished with a career-high 30 carries in the win.

Collins now has 3,518 yards rushing for his career, and he’s 53 yards away from moving into second place on the school’s all-time rushing yardage list — behind only two-time Doak Walker Award winner Darren McFadden.

Not bad for someone who only took over the lead running role following teammate Jonathan Williams’ preseason foot injury, and who is now very possibly headed to the NFL following his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season.

“I haven’t made a decision about that yet,” Collins said. “(Being emotional after the game) was just more so for the seniors, because it was going to be my last time playing with those guys here at the stadium. It’s just more of a dedication game for them.”

While Collins shined, the Tigers (5-7, 1-7) inept offense once again struggled mightily — failing to score in double digits for the sixth time this season.

Pinkel, who announced earlier this month he was resigning after the season following a diagnosis of lymphoma in May, shouldered the blame for Missouri’s lack of focus afterward. Missouri failed to score a touchdown for the fourth time in eight SEC games, and it finished with 171 yards of total offense, compared to 310 for the Razorbacks.

“Obviously, I didn’t want it to end this way,” Pinkel said. “I also knew that the players were not focused like they needed to be, and I had a challenge to get that done.”

Pinkel finished his 25 seasons as a head coach at both Toledo and Missouri with an overall record of 191-110-3, and he’s the all-time winningest coach for the Tigers — finishing 117-70 in 15 seasons at Missouri.

Drew Lock was 9-of-27 passing for 83 yards for Missouri, whose only points came on a 35-yard field goal by Andrew Baggett in the second quarter.

Arkansas, meanwhile, had no such offensive problems — even if it failed to score at least 50 points in a game for the fifth time in its last six games.

The Razorbacks had a four-game winning streak snapped a week ago in a thrilling 51-50 loss to Mississippi State, but they took much of the suspense out of Friday while building a 21-3 halftime lead.

Collins put Arkansas up 14-0 early in the second quarter with a seven-yard touchdown run, and he extended the lead to 21-3 with a weaving 25-yard score with 31 seconds left before halftime.

A week after throwing for a school-record seven touchdowns, Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen finished 11 of 17 for 102 yards. The start was the 33rd straight of Allen’s career with the Razorbacks, the longest active streak in the SEC.

Allen and most of his offensive teammates were pulled from the game in the final minute, enjoying a final round of applause from the Arkansas fans who lingered throughout the soggy afternoon in Razorback Stadium.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chris Collins watched helplessly from the sideline as Northwestern blew most of a 20-point first-half lead against Missouri in the consolation game of the CBE Classic.

His first two years in charge, Collins would have ultimately been watching a loss.

On Tuesday night, his guys proved just how far they’d come.

Tre Demps and Bryant McIntosh scored 13 points apiece, and Northwestern held on through foul trouble and a tense closing stretch for a 67-62 victory over the Tigers.

“I thought the first half was fantastic, the way we executed, the defense. Then we just had to hold on for dear life,” Collins said. “This is a game in the last couple of years we would have lost. There’s no question in my mind.”

The Wildcats (4-1), who lost to ninth-ranked North Carolina in the semifinals, did not make a field goal for the final 5 minutes, 41 seconds as the Tigers made one final run.

Kevin Puryear’s basket with 1:43 left got Missouri (2-3) within 65-59, and Scottie Lindsey’s miss at the other end and two free throws by Wes Clark made things interesting. But after a Demps turnover, Puryear could only make the second of two free throws with 33.8 seconds left.

Demps made one of two at the other end to give Northwestern a 66-62 advantage, and Clark’s 3-point try rattled out moments later, allowing the Wildcats to escape with the win.

“We knew we had to bring our own energy. We knew there weren’t going to be many fans in the stands,” said the Wildcats’ Sanjay Lumpkin. “I mean, they made a lot of shots. They made their run and we were just fortunate to make big plays at the end of the game.”

Terrance Phillips had 16 points to lead Missouri. Puryear finished with 14.

“We got off to a bad start, put ourselves in a hole,” Tigers coach Kim Anderson said. “But I was really encouraged by the way we fought back in the second half.”

The Wildcats threatened to turn the game into a rout in the first half, knocking down just about every shot they took from the perimeter. By the time Lumpkin rattled in his 3-pointer with 7:45 remaining in the half, Northwestern had built a 31-11 advantage.

The Tigers’ eventual comeback came in bits and pieces.

Puryear got things started with back-to-back baskets, and Ryan Rosburg contributed a couple of nice plays in the paint. Slowly, the Wildcats’ lead began to erode, and four straight foul shots by Namon Wright to end the first half got Missouri within 38-24.

“I think once we got going,” Phillips said, “a fire got lit under us.”

The Tigers kept coming out of the break, too. Phillips started to score in transition, the rest of the Tigers began getting to the basket for easy looks, and the lead was finally cut to 61-57 with 3:51 to go — the closest the game had been since the opening minutes.

But while the Wildcats went cold from the field, they managed to create enough offense to get to the free-throw line, where they were able to eventually put the game away.

“I was really proud of having the composure, having the poise on both ends to do what it takes to win,” Collins said. “It’s not going to be pretty every time. You’d love for it to all come together and go right. We had a great first half. The second half we had to fight.”

TIP-INS

Missouri: Clark finished 1 of 11 from the field. He was 2 of 9 in the semifinals. … The Tigers only committed nine turnovers, but they shot just 5 of 18 from beyond the arc.

Northwestern: Demps scored 21 points against the Tar Heels. … McIntosh fouled out with about 4 minutes left in the game. … The Wildcats were 10 of 23 from beyond the arc.

STUNNED TIGERS

Anderson blamed the slow start for the Tigers’ 66-42 loss to Kansas State in the semifinals on Monday night. “I thought we went into this game with absolutely no confidence,” he said. “I was proud of these guys for staying with it.”

UP NEXT

Missouri starts a three-game homestand against Arkansas State on Dec. 1.

Northwestern returns home to face New Orleans on Saturday.

— Associated Press —