COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Following its third consecutive comeback from a halftime deficit, Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy vowed Wednesday his team needs to excel in both halves to seriously compete in the Southeastern Conference.

But he’ll take A&M’s solid play only after halftime for now if it means another victory, as it did in a 62-50 triumph over Missouri in Reed Arena.

“The beginning of the second half our guys played like we’re capable of playing,” Kennedy said. “(But) you have to be a `both-half’ team to win at this level.”

In overcoming a 31-24 halftime deficit, the Aggies were led by Jalen Jones and Danuel House with 16 points each, while Wes Clark paced the Tigers with a game-high 18. A&M had erased a one-point deficit to Mississippi State and an eight-point deficit to LSU in its previous games.

“We knew we couldn’t let this one slip away from us,” Jones said. “Missouri gave us the first punch, but we knew we needed to hit back.”

The Aggies (12-5, 3-2 SEC) held a wide rebounding advantage over the Tigers (7-11, 1-4) at 37-24, and shot 15 of 20 (75 percent) from the free-throw line. A&M entered the contest making 64 percent of its free throws.

“We do a lot of rebounding drills in practice,” Jones said of an emphasis of late for the Aggies. “It’s a man’s game, and we know we have to be strong in the paint.”

Meanwhile first-year coach Kim Anderson’s Tigers have dropped four consecutive SEC games after defeating LSU in overtime in their conference opener.

“The Aggies came out in the second half and their game plan was to throw the ball inside, and we just didn’t have an answer for it,” Anderson said. “They also came out and guarded a lot better than they did in the first half. It was a tale of two halves.”

Jones and House, two 6-foot-7 transfers who lead A&M in scoring, each tallied only four points in the first half. But the duo came alive in the second half, combining for 24 points in helping A&M overcome a 31-24 deficit at the break.

“A&M came out in the second half aggressive and playing hard, and we got a little stagnant,” Clark said.

The Tigers made 5 of 8 3-pointers in the first half and 3 of 9 in the second.

“We didn’t do a great job contesting 3-pointers in the first half,” said A&M guard Alex Caruso, who finished with 11 points. “We did a better job in the second half keeping the ball outside the 3-point line, and not allowing penetration in the second half.”

TIP INS

Texas A&M: The Aggies have won three straight league games for only the second time in their three seasons in the SEC, following last year’s 3-0 start (that resulted in an 8-10 finish).

Missouri: Anderson dubbed Clark’s play one of the team’s few bright spots. The 6-foot guard had practiced sparingly of late with an ankle injury, and entered the contest averaging 10.6 points per game.

STAT LINES

Missouri finished with 14 turnovers and the Aggies had a dozen, but each team collected 19 points apiece in points off turnovers. Clark not only finished with a game-high in points (18), he also notched game-highs in assists (6) and steals (5).

QUOTABLE

Texas A&M: “The character and toughness and maturity of our team is greater than it was last year, by leaps and bounds, fortunately.” Billy Kennedy.

UP NEXT

Texas A&M plays at Tennessee on Saturday.

Missouri plays host to Arkansas on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Former University of Missouri defensive lineman Phil Pitts has joined the Mizzou Football staff as a defensive analyst, as announced today by Head Coach Gary Pinkel.

Pitts, who played in 40 games as a Tiger for Pinkel from 2001-04, comes on board after a stellar high school coaching career at Helias Catholic High School in his hometown of Jefferson City, Mo.  Pitts has been head coach at Helias for the past four seasons, and compiled a 40-15 record while winning district championships each year and finishing as Missouri Class 4 state runner up in two of those years (2012 and 2013).  Prior to that, Pitts was an assistant coach on the Helias staff for six seasons (2005-10).

“We’re excited to have Phil join our coaching staff,” said Pinkel.  “Here’s a guy who came through our program during our building phase, and he demonstrated great leadership in some difficult times, and clearly had a passion for the game of football.  He’s done great things at a first-class program like Helias, and we are looking forward to Phil adding his skills to our team,” Pinkel said.

“My time at Helias has truly been amazing and the people I have met, coached, and worked with will forever have a special place in my heart,” said Pitts.  “Coaching college football has always been a dream of mine and I am so excited to join Coach Pinkel and his staff at Missouri.  Mizzou has always been home to me and I couldn’t be happier to be a Tiger.  I have the utmost respect for the entire program and I can’t wait to get started!” he said.

As a defensive analyst for the Tigers, Pitts will focus on assisting new defensive coordinator Barry Odom with a day-to-day evaluation of the Tiger defense, which includes self-scouting, as well as various other duties related to the operation of the football program.

Pitts was credited with 36 tackles from his defensive tackle position in 40 career games for Mizzou.  He had an interception return for a touchdown of 49 yards in 2004 at Faurot Field against Arkansas State.  He earned his degree in general studies from Mizzou in 2005 and later completed his teacher certification program from MU in 2006.  Pitts and his wife, Lindsey, have two daughters, Kayla (3 years old) and Avery (1).

— MU Sports Information —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — After hanging on against No. 19 Arkansas earlier in the week, Tennessee coach Donnie Tyndall said his team played the final five minutes “not to lose.”

He was prouder of the Vols’ effort Saturday after defeating Missouri 59-51, watching his team use a 14-3 run in the closing minutes to gradually pull away from the Tigers. The result gave Tennessee (11-5, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) wins in its first two SEC road games for the first time since 2009.

“The biggest thing is our team is learning how to win,” Tyndall said. “They’re getting tougher every single night. They’re gaining confidence every night.

“This young, inexperienced team could have folded, and they didn’t.”

Armani Moore scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Kevin Punter added 12 points and Derek Reese 10 points.

Namon Wright led Missouri (7-10, 1-3) with 13 points to finish as the only player in double figures. The Tigers led 46-43 following a layup from Jakeenan Gant with five minutes to go but wouldn’t score again for 3 1/2 minutes.

“Disappointing loss, to be honest with you,” Missouri coach Kim Anderson said. “Really disappointing loss.”

The Tigers lost 86-37 to No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday and Tennessee dropped a 56-38 decision to Alabama on Jan. 10, and both teams revisited those offensive struggles, combining to make one of their first nine shots from the field.

After trading baskets for most of the opening half, Missouri used a 6-0 run to grab a 21-17 lead with 4:14 left before the break. The Volunteers then answered with the following seven points en route to leading 26-24 at halftime.

Devon Baulkman made two free throws with 13:52 remaining to increase Tennessee’s lead to 37-29, but Missouri fought back, scoring nine of the next 11 points. Neither team was able to build a two-possession lead again until Reese drained a short jumper to make it 50-46 Volunteers with 2:07 remaining.

The Tigers couldn’t answer.

“This team needs something good to happen,” said Anderson, whose team has lost three consecutive games. “We beat LSU and now we’re in a rut again.”

Johnathan Williams III leads Missouri this season with 13 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, but scored all eight of his points Saturday in the first half. He finished 4 of 9 shooting after scoring three points in the loss to the Wildcats.

Tramaine Isabell and Keith Shamburger also added eight points apiece for the Tigers, who shot 20 of 55 (36.4 percent) from the field and just 3 of 6 from the free throw line. Isabell sat out the first half while suspended for poor effort shown in practices, Anderson said.

TIP-INS

Tennessee: The Vols finished 18 of 20 at the free throw line after finishing 14 of 26 against Arkansas. Tennessee shot 19 of 49 (38.8 percent) from the field.

Missouri: Officials announced attendance at 10,359, the first time in nine home games this season the number of fans topped 8,000 in the 15,061-capacity Mizzou Arena.

FULL ROSTER

Anderson reinstated Deuce Bello after suspending the guard for five games for academic reasons, but said Bello didn’t play Saturday because of a sprained ankle. Montaque Gill-Caesar returned after missing three games with a back injury, going scoreless in nine minutes.

CARDINALS IN TOWN

One of the loudest cheers of the game occurred when several current and former St. Louis Cardinals players, including closer Trevor Rosenthal, were introduced with 2:38 remaining in the first half.

The team visited Columbia — about 100 miles west of St. Louis — to sign autographs and raise awareness for its upcoming season.

UP NEXT

Tennessee plays at South Carolina on Tuesday.

Missouri plays at Texas A&M on Wednesday

— Associated Press —

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Aaron Harrison scored 16 points including five 3-pointers, and top-ranked Kentucky finally earned a conference victory in regulation by drilling Missouri 86-37 on Tuesday night.

After needing overtime to beat Mississippi and Texas A&M by nine total points, the Wildcats (16-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) had the overmatched Tigers (7-9, 1-2) under control by halftime with a 44-18 lead. The margin eventually reached 49 in the final minute as Kentucky rolled to its most decisive outcome since last month’s 39-point rout of UCLA.

Harrison played a big role in that by making most of the Wildcats’ eight long-range baskets. It was the second time in three games he has made at least five from behind the arc.

Willie Cauley-Stein added 13 points and Karl-Anthony Towns 12 with 10 rebounds as Kentucky shot 48 percent from the field. The Wildcats also held Missouri to a season-low 27 percent and outrebounded the Tigers 46-27 including 30 defensive boards.

Wes Clark and Keanu Post each had 10 points for the Tigers, who lost their second straight.

Kentucky improved to 7-0 against Missouri and earned its biggest win over the Tigers.

Most important for the Wildcats was reclaiming the swagger that had been missing in those close SEC wins. While coach John Calipari was happy with his team’s resolve in gutting out those wins, he declared Monday that “enough is enough” and wanted his team to get back to dominating opponents.

Doing so required some lineup tweaks as Calipari started sophomore guard Dominique Hawkins in a quest for energy and defense. The defensive specialist finished with six points, three assists and two steals in 20 minutes.

Even better, the lineup shuffle yielded the desired effect on both ends as the Wildcats shot 50 percent in the first half and shut off many options for the Tigers, who made just 31 percent from the field and were outrebounded 22-13.

Kentucky earned a big halftime lead as a result, a big improvement from recent efforts that exposed vulnerabilities — especially on defense.

Shooting had been another concern since SEC play started for the Wildcats, who entered the game better from behind the arc (20 of 48, 42 percent) the past two games than inside (31 percent).

That wasn’t an issue as Kentucky made 19 of 38 (50 percent) inside the line with Cauley-Stein even making a jumper that got a big cheer from 24,248 who came out for the late-evening start.

—

TIP-INS

Missouri: Leading scorer Johnathan Williams III had just three points on 1-of-13 shooting.

Kentucky: Devin Booker scored seven points against his father Melvin’s school. The elder Booker was the 1994 Big Eight Conference Player of the Year and a second-team Associated Press All-American.

UP NEXT

Missouri hosts Tennessee on Saturday.

Kentucky travels to Alabama on Saturday evening.

— Associated Press —

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Cinmeon Bowers flexed his muscles for the crowd after making a late basket and drawing a foul, and did it with his play the rest of the night.

Bowers collected 20 points and 14 rebounds, many off his own misses, to lead Auburn to an 85-79 victory over Missouri on Saturday night.

As for the flex: “I just felt like doing something,” he said.

Malcolm Canada scored the final six points for Auburn (9-6, 1-1 Southeastern Conference), which trailed by eight points early in the second half.

Keith Shamburger led Missouri (7-8, 1-1) with a season-high 21 points, making 5 of 9 3-pointers.

Bowers powered for a basket with 1:30 left, flexing before the first of his three straight free throw misses. Wes Clark then hit a quick 3-pointer for his eighth straight point, making it 79-77.

Canada hit a jumper and then made four consecutive free throws over the final 21 seconds to seal the win while Missouri missed three straight 3-pointers.

“We got behind, came back, they made a run,” Missouri coach Kim Anderson said. “We didn’t make the plays we needed to at the end but I was really proud of the way we fought. We’ve been a little banged up and a little short at the guard spot, but we hung in there.

“Down the stretch, we couldn’t stop the dribble penetration and couldn’t keep them off the line.”

KT Harrell added 14 points for Auburn while K.C. Ross-Miller had 13 points and five assists before fouling out. Canada scored 10 points.

Bowers made repeated trips to the free-throw line, thanks in part to nine offensive rebounds. He made 11 of 18 free throws and hit both attempts after Keanau Post was called for a flagrant foul in the second half.

“When he did that, I knew it was war time,” Bowers said. “It sparked me up. I can’t play silent. I like to talk a lot of junk.”

Clark finished with 16 points and Tramaine Isabell had 12 points and four assists for Missouri.

Auburn grabbed the lead for good with an 11-0 run capped by Canada’s free throw with 3:28 left for a 74-67 edge.

Shamburger hit two free throws and Clark made a basket and subsequent foul shot to cut it to 74-72 less than a minute later.

Missouri trailed by as many as eight points before starting a 13-0 run that carried over into the second half. Shamburger’s two free throws with five seconds left cut the deficit to 41-40 at halftime.

Then Missouri scored the first nine points after the half, capped by Shamburger’s 3-pointer to go ahead 49-41.

Antoine Mason gave Auburn the lead back with a layup and 3-pointer for his first points of the night.

“Their energy kind of took over the game,” Clark said. “They played a little bit harder than us the last three minutes.”

—

TIP-INS

Missouri: Leading scorer Johnathan Williams III had nine points and eight rebounds but also committed five turnovers.

Auburn: Made 10 of 19 3-pointers (52.6 percent). Hit 25 of 37 free throws (67.6 percent).

UP NEXT

Missouri: Visits No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday.

Auburn: Visits Florida on Thursday night.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES

Bowers reached double digits in both scoring and rebounds for the ninth time this season, and did it with ex-Auburn and NBA star Charles Barkley in the stands. He came into the game as one of only three major conference players averaging a double-double.

PLAYING HURT

Tahj Shamsid-Deen scored six points during the second-half spurt. He had totaled three points in the previous three games while nursing a shoulder injury.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri finally broke through.

After losing to Illinois and Oklahoma State by a combined five points last month, the Tigers knocked off LSU 74-67 on Thursday in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

“We had been so close a couple of times that it’s great to see these guys be able to realize the fruits of their labor,” coach Kim Anderson said. “It was a great game.”

Johnathan Williams III scored 21 points — his eighth consecutive game leading the team in scoring — and grabbed 10 rebounds. Keith Shamburger added 10 points, including four on free throws in the final minute of overtime.

The Tigers (7-7, 1-0) improved to 1-5 against teams from the five major conferences after scoring the final nine points of the game — the last seven on free throws — after LSU opened overtime with two of its own by Tim Quarterman.

Quarterman finished with 19 points while Keith Hornsby added 17 for LSU (11-3, 0-1), which had its eight-game winning streak snapped.

“I didn’t think we were as poised as we needed to be,” coach Johnny Jones said. “We turned the ball over. We weren’t as good as we needed to be with the basketball. I thought we tried to rush or force some things tonight.”

The game featured 14 lead changes and seven ties, including one in the final minute of regulation. Hornsby’s 3-pointer with 10 seconds left knotted the game at 65 before Wes Clark’s miss at the other end sent the game to overtime.

Despite trailing for more than 24 minutes, Missouri used a 14-2 run to gain a 60-56 lead with 3:33 remaining.

“We’ve been there before,” Keanau Post said. “I think this time, our mindset was, `We’re going to get it this time.’ So I think we went out there confident and ready to get the win, and we did that.”

Both teams struggled early, combining for 5-of-21 shooting in the first seven minutes. LSU found its way first, using an 11-0 run to take a 17-6 lead with10:46 remaining in the first half. The teams then traded runs to a 30-27 halftime lead for LSU.

LSU entered the matchup with an advantage in the post with Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey together averaging 34.5 points this season, but the two encountered foul trouble early in the first half.

When asked about the impact of the absence of the two forwards in the final minutes before halftime, Jones said the team had lost its rhythm even when Martin and Mickey were playing.

The Tigers averaged 41.8 points from the paint before playing Missouri, but only managed 24 on Thursday. Martin finished with nine points — all in the second half — while Mickey added nine and grabbed 17 rebounds.

Post provided a spark off the bench with 12 points for Missouri. The 6-foot-10 senior and former junior college All-American had just 20 points in 10 games before contributing a combined 19 in his last two.

“He’s coming out of his shell a little bit more now, and it’s starting to show,” Williams said.

—

TIP-INS

LSU: The Tigers finished with 19 turnovers after entering the night ranked last in the SEC with 15.2 per game.

Missouri: Junior Deuce Bello missed his third consecutive game while suspended for academic reasons, while freshman Montaque Gill-Caesar sat out with a back injury stemming from a flagrant foul committed by Illinois on Dec. 20. … Wes Clark scored 13 points.

UP NEXT

LSU hosts Georgia on Saturday.

Missouri plays at Auburn on Saturday.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT

“We started 1-0,” Wes Clark said of Missouri’s conference record. “So we don’t have any losses. We’re just looking to keep going with that. Take it one game at a time.”

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri needed a spark Saturday against Lipscomb.

Looking lethargic early, the Tigers found one in Keanau Post. The former junior college All-American scored seven points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help Missouri defeat the Bisons 72-60 on Saturday.

“I didn’t play him the last two games because I didn’t think he had been playing well enough,” coach Kim Anderson said. “And he never said a word. He never changed his expression.”

Post entered the game averaging a team-low two points in his second season with Missouri (6-7) after transferring from Southwestern Illinois College. The 6-foot-11 senior said he needs to approach every game like he did Saturday’s.

“I think being out and then coming back, you’ve got to slow things down for yourself,” he said. “You can’t really rush yourself. I think I did a good job of that today, just taking it step by step.”

Johnathan Williams III led Missouri in scoring with 16 points and had 10 rebounds, and Keith Shamburger added 15 points.

Freshman Nathan Moran tied a career high with 17 points while Josh Williams added 11 points and seven rebounds for Lipscomb (5-9). The Bisons fell to 0-4 against major-conference opponents this season after losses at Vanderbilt, Colorado and Texas.

Missouri needed to fall behind before showing any sense of urgency, trading baskets with the Bisons early before watching them score 13 consecutive points for a 30-19 lead with six minutes left in the first half.

“Yeah, I thought we were going to pull it out,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said.

The Tigers responded with 14 of the final 19 points in the half, though, shaving their deficit to 35-33 at the break. Lipscomb stretched its lead to 48-38 five minutes into the second half before Missouri used a 16-1 run to retake the lead.

The Tigers finally established some breathing room, ending the game on a 13-2 run after leading 59-58 with 5:23 remaining.

“We’ve played some teams really well and hadn’t gotten over the hump,” Anderson said. “So today I was happy that we were able to finally get back and get a lead in the game.”

Spurred on by former Tigers Laurence Bowers and Kim English in attendance, Missouri shot 47.1 percent (24 of 51) from the field en route to its first win since defeating Elon 78-73 on Dec. 11.

Lipscomb, on the other hand, shot 19 of 59 (32.2 percent) overall and scored just two points in the final 5:23. The team played most of the game without senior Malcolm Smith, who scored seven points in the first seven minutes before walking with trainers to the locker room.

Alexander said Smith both injured his elbow and incurred a gash to his tongue that made breathing difficult.

“Malcolm’s probably the toughest kid we’ve got,” Alexander said. “So if anybody could have played, he would have.”

Martin Smith, Malcolm’s twin brother, also sat out after injuring his foot against Austin Peay on Dec. 21. Both players lead the team in games played with 97.

TIP-INS

Lipscomb: Josh Williams, a sophomore, now leads the team with 14.4 points per game, 75 rebounds and 19 steals this season.

Missouri: Junior guard and Baylor transfer Deuce Bello missed his second consecutive game while suspended for “academic reasons,” coach Kim Anderson said after Tuesday’s loss to Oklahoma State. . Johnathan Williams III has led the Tigers in scoring for seven consecutive games, averaging 17.1 points during that stretch.

CAREER HIGH FOR ISABELL

With Montaque Gill-Caesar nursing a sore back and Bello suspended, Missouri freshman Tramaine Isabell scored 14 points. The 6-foot guard from Seattle averages 4.9 points per game.

UP NEXT

Lipscomb hosts Division III opponent Rhodes College on Monday before opening Atlantic Sun play at home against Northern Kentucky on Jan. 10.

Missouri opens Southeastern Conference play on Thursday at home against LSU.

— Associated Press —

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — When Missouri played its best this season, the Tigers stopped the run or ran well themselves. Minnesota found out what happens when the Tigers are successful at both.

Marcus Murphy ran for 159 yards, Russell Hansbrough added 114 yards and a touchdown and No. 16 Missouri beat Minnesota (No. 25 CFP) 33-17 on Thursday in the Citrus Bowl.

“We took advantage of some critical turnovers. It’s 23 (wins) — the best back-to-back seasons in Missouri history,” Tigers coach Gary Pinkel said. “You’re always judged when you have the most adversity and how you respond. And we did.”

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Missouri (11-3) also got a big day out of its defense, which held one of the nation’s top rushing offenses to 106 yards on its way to winning its third straight bowl game and reaching 11 victories for the fourth time in school history. Minnesota entered the game averaging nearly 225 yards on the ground.

The Tigers forced three turnovers, led by game MVP Markus Golden, who finished with 10 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. It helped Missouri’s offense settle in after from some early miscues.

“It’s a blessing to be a part of this team. Just to be out here playing,” Golden said. “One of the best days of my life.”

Minnesota (8-5) trailed 19-17 entering the fourth quarter, but Missouri pulled away on Hansbrough’s 78-yard touchdown run and Maty Mauk’s 7-yard scoring pass to Bud Sasser.

Mauk settled down to throw two TD passes after interceptions on the Tigers’ first two possessions.

Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner was 21 of 31 for 258 yards and a touchdown, but was under constant pressure in the second half.

The Tigers used an onside kick to open the third quarter to stretch out their halftime lead to 13-7.

The Golden Gophers responded on the ensuing series with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Leidner to tight end Maxx Williams. Williams leaped over cornerback Aarion Penton and stepped over another defender before diving into the end zone.

But Missouri quickly answered, needing just three plays after a muffed Minnesota punt for Mauk to give the Tigers a 19-14 lead on an 18-yard touchdown run.

It tightened to 19-17 by the start of in the fourth quarter before Hansbrough got free and rumbled for his score that put the Tigers’ up by nine with 9:28 to play.

Minnesota coach Jerry Kill said he thought his defense got a little tired down the stretch because of extra possessions given to the Tigers’ offense.

“The bottom line is you can’t turn over the ball and win the turnover. I say that all the time,” Kill said. The game flipped because of a couple of turnovers.”

Missouri survived a disastrous offensive start to lead 10-7 at halftime in a game that started with the teams combining for three turnovers in the first 4 minutes.

Missouri’s Mauk opened the game by being picked off by Derrick Wells on the Tigers’ third play from scrimmage. Minnesota would give it right back, though, when Leidner fumbled after being sandwiched in the backfield by defensive ends Markus Golden and Shane Ray.

The Tigers then went just four more plays before Mauk’s second interception, this time in the end zone by Briean Boddy-Calhoun.

The Gophers finally ended the drought on the ensuing series, capping an 11-play, 80-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown run by Rodrick Williams.

It was part of a bruising first quarter that saw Minnesota gain 76 yards on the ground.

That was flipped in the second quarter, as the Tigers used its own rushing attack to set up the passing game.

First, following a punt, they used their best starting field position of the half to get on the board with Andrew Baggett’s 21-yard field goal.

Mauk then made the best of Missouri’s final possession of the half, finding Bud Sasser for a 25-yard touchdown strike.

In all, the Tigers outgained the Gophers 156-41 in the second quarter.

Pinkel said this win can go a long way for his team.

“We talk about (how) you have to have perseverance and competitive drive. Sounds easy, it’s not,” he said. “Bottom line is you’ve got to make plays. You got to make blocks. We did.”

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Oklahoma State’s Phil Forte III and Le’Bryan Nash scored 21 points, including all 12 of the Cowboys’ points in overtime, lifting them to a 74-72 victory over Missouri on Tuesday night.

Anthony Hickey Jr. added 12 points for the Cowboys (10-2), who rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit and then had to withstand the Tigers’ own feverish comebacks.

Missouri (5-7) had a chance to take the lead late in overtime, but Tramaine Isabell — whose 3-pointer with 2-tenths of a second left forced overtime — turned the ball over.

Nash made two fouls shots with 5.4 seconds to go, and Oklahoma State fouled to prevent the Tigers from getting off another tying 3. Johnathan Williams III made the first of two free throws with 3 seconds left, and missed the second intentionally.

A tying floater bounced over the rim and harmlessly to the floor.

— Associated Press —