COLUMBIA, Mo. — Sophie Cunningham scored 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting and No. 23 Missouri used a big third quarter to win its fourth straight, 66-59 over UMKC on Thursday night.

Amber Smith added her fifth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 boards for the Tigers (7-2).

Missouri had a 14-1 run early in the third quarter to turn a one-point lead into a 51-37 advantage with 4:14 left in the period. The Tigers outscored the Kangaroos 21-9 in the third quarter and led by double digits for the first eight minutes of the fourth. UMKC (2-6) had an 8-2 run to close the game, but it was too late to threaten the Tigers.

Ericka Mattingly had 20 points and Emily Ivory scored 18 for the Kangaroos.

UMKC tied it three times in the second quarter but never retook the lead after the opening period.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Board of Curators has approved a contract extension for Mizzou Head Football Coach Barry Odom through the 2024 season, as well as a $600,000 increase in his annual salary effective January 1, 2019 and an enhanced incentive package for academic and athletic performance, Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk announced today. In three seasons on the Mizzou sideline, Odom has improved the Tigers’ win total each year, while earning bowl bids in each of the past two. Odom’s 2018 team will carry an 8-4 record and a No. 23 (CFP)/No. 24 (Associated Pres) national ranking into its Dec. 31 AutoZone Liberty Bowl match-up against former conference rival Oklahoma State in Memphis, Tenn.

“Barry Odom has done an outstanding job of leading the Mizzou Football program the last three seasons and I’m grateful that we are able to reward that success today,” Sterk said. “He is building a championship culture within his program that fosters academic achievement, athletic success and accountability, and I am proud of what he has been able to accomplish during his first three seasons. With this year’s success and the South End Zone facility coming on-line next year, I believe Mizzou Football enjoys great momentum heading into the 2019 season and I look forward to working with Coach Odom to build upon that,” Sterk said.

A 1999 graduate of Mizzou, and a former standout linebacker for the Tigers from 1996-99, Odom owns a record of 19-18 in three seasons at Mizzou (with every loss coming to bowl-eligible teams), and with the Tigers’ Liberty Bowl invitation, he joined College Football Hall of Famer Dan Devine, Al Onofrio and Warren Powers, as the only coaches to lead two of their first three Mizzou teams into the postseason. Odom’s 19 wins are the most through three seasons by a Tiger coach since Powers won 23 from 1978-80, and a win in the bowl game would make this just the ninth team in program history to win nine games in a season.

“Coach Odom is the epitome of what it means to be Mizzou Made,” said MU Chancellor Alexander Cartwright. “From his days as a linebacker for the Tigers to his time on the sidelines, Barry has taken the core values of Mizzou – Respect, Responsibility, Discovery and Excellence – to heart. He is a champion for the university, helping our university celebrate academic achievements and supporting all of our student athletes, both on and off the field.”

After winning four games in his debut season, the Tigers went 7-6 in 2017 to earn a Texas Bowl berth and will take an 8-4 record into this month’s postseason game. His Tigers earned one of the most impressive road wins of any team this season, when Mizzou rolled to a 38-17 win on Nov. 3 at current No. 10 (CFP) Florida.

“Coach Odom has a tremendous passion for teaching and developing our student-athletes, on and off the field, which aligns well with our departmental philosophy to Win it Right,” Sterk said. “With this new contract, we felt it was important to recognize Coach Odom’s commitment to our football program and University, and we look forward to his continued leadership and watching him make a positive difference in the lives of our student-athletes,” he added.

The eight-win regular season in 2018 marks just the 17th time that has been achieved in 128 years of Mizzou Football. Odom’s teams have shown a penchant for finishing seasons in strong fashion, as they’ve won nine-straight games in the month of November, and in his three years at the helm, Mizzou is 10-2 overall in November games.

“I’m excited and thankful to lead our program and student-athletes for years to come,” said Odom. “I have great admiration for our leadership team of President Choi, Chancellor Cartwright and the Board of Curators, and thank them for this opportunity. I’m excited to move forward with Jim Sterk, we have the same vision in building Mizzou Football and providing a platform for our young men to be successful in all aspects of their lives. We have a great staff in place who care about winning the right way and I’m appreciative of their efforts. I’m grateful for our players, and I’m honored to be their coach. I want to give them the very best every single day,” he said.

In addition to a $600,000 increase in his annual salary and the additional two years added to his contract, his academic and athletic incentives package increased to more than $1.8M and he now has built in provisions for both annual salary increases and contract extensions based upon on-field achievements.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jeremiah Tilmon posted 10 points and 12 rebounds — his second double-double this season — to lead Missouri to a 65-45 victory over UT Arlington on Tuesday night.

The 6-foot-10 Tilmon took advantage of an undersized UTA frontcourt. The tallest players in the Mavericks’ starting lineup — Andres Ibarguen and Patrick Mwamba — are each 6-foot-5. The sophomore forward has been heating up, and has now scored double-digits in each of his last three contests.

Tilmon also shot 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. He shot just 52 percent from the charity stripe last year, but has upped that percentage to 80 percent this season.

“Last year, I took three dribbles and paused for four or five seconds,” Tilmon said. “Now, I just take two dribbles and go right into my rhythm.”

Missouri freshman Torrence Watson added a season-high 12 points. Watson made three of his six 3-point attempts. He entered the game shooting just 27.6 percent from beyond the arc.

“He’s been putting extra time in, I think that helps,” Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin said. “I think with any guy who shoots the ball, you like to see the ball go in, and it went in for him.”

The Tigers came into the contest shooting 38.2 percent from 3, tops in the Southeastern Conference. Missouri (5-3) shot 9-for-25 from 3-point range against the Mavericks, who entered the game holding opponents to just 27.2 percent from beyond the arc.

UTA (3-6) struggled all game to establish offensive flow. They turned the ball over 21 times and shot 39 percent from the field. Ibarguen led UTA with nine points.

“We’re struggling offensively right now,” Mavericks coach Chris Ogden said. “We did miss some more open shots tonight, but we were just way too careless with the ball once again — 21 turnovers is too many lost possessions for us.”

Missouri finished shooting 44 percent. The team’s leading scorer for the season — Jordan Geist — added nine points and team-leading three assists.

The Mavericks return just 3.2 percent of their points from last season, the least amount of production in college basketball. UTA’s nonconference schedule is also filled with power-conference opponents, including Indiana, Arkansas, Missouri, No. 1 Gonzaga and Texas.

BIG PICTURE

UT Arlington: The Mavericks lost their top nine scorers from last year and continue to rebuild under first-year coach Chris Ogden. UTA has now lost five games in a row for the first time since 2013-14.

Missouri: After starting the season 3-3, the Tigers have won two in a row — with a chance to make it three on Friday — ahead of nonconference matchups with Xavier and Illinois.

FRESHMAN FOCUS

Along with Watson’s solid night, Missouri freshman guard Javon Pickett scored 10 points. He shot 2-for-6 from distance. Missouri’s newcomers scored 34 of the team’s 65 points. Pickett said the team’s freshman class is feeling good.

“I feel like (the freshmen) are really confident,” Pickett said. “Our older guys keep telling us to shoot the ball, going to the basket, attacking.”

GIVING IT AWAY

Along with UTA’s 21 turnovers, the Mavericks also shot 4-for-11 from the free-throw line.

SANTOS CLEARED

Martin said postgame that Missouri sophomore transfer K.J. Santos is cleared to play for the Tigers and will likely play Friday against Oral Roberts. Santos — a 6-foot-8 guard — averaged 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game as a freshman for Illinois-Chicago in 2016-17.

UP NEXT

UT Arlington will stay on the road to play North Texas on Saturday.

Missouri faces Oral Roberts at home Friday.

— Associated Press —

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Former Clemson starting quarterback Kelly Bryant says he’ll play his final season at Missouri.

Bryant released a video on social media that ended with a player in a Missouri uniform and fans chanting “M-I-Z” for its nickname “Mizzou.”

Bryant had visited several schools after he announced his transfer from Clemson because he was demoted as starting quarterback behind freshman Trevor Lawrence. Others he met with included Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State and North Carolina. As a graduate transfer, Bryant will be eligible to play in the 2019 season.

Missouri’s incumbent quarterback, Drew Lock, is a senior and a projected first-round 2019 NFL draft pick.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Bryant helped Clemson win an Atlantic Coast Conference title and reach the College Football Playoff in 2017. He started the first four games for Clemson this season before Lawrence took the starting job. Bryant was 16-2 as Clemson’s starter. He threw for 3,263 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions the last two seasons.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – It is awards season in college football, and on the heels of an 8-4 regular season, several members of the 23rd-ranked Mizzou Football team are earning recognition for their outstanding play. The Associated Press has named three Tigers to its 2018 All-Southeastern Conference first and second teams, as released today.

Junior OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms (East St. Louis, Ill.) won first-team All-SEC honors by the organization for his outstanding play this season as he helped lead the way for one of the top-producing offenses in the league. Wallace-Simms has been a key part of the line that ranks ninth in the nation (second in the SEC) in fewest tackles for loss allowed (4.08 per game) and 11th nationally (second in the SEC) in fewest sacks allowed (1.08 per game). Mizzou will enter the 2018 AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Dec. 31st versus Oklahoma State) with the nation’s 17th-ranked offense (fourth-best in the SEC), averaging 468.8 yards per game.

Wallace-Simms becomes the second Tiger offensive lineman to win first-team All-SEC honors by the A.P., joining former standout Justin Britt (2013) in that category.

Senior QB Drew Lock (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) was named second-team All-SEC by the writers, after turning in an outstanding year that saw him throw for 3,125 yards and 25 touchdowns for the 8-4 Tigers. Lock, who is a national finalist for the Manning Award, the Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, ranks among the top performers in the league in numerous categories, just a few of which include: passing yards (3rd in SEC/18th in NCAA), passing touchdowns (2nd/19th), and points responsible for (2nd/16th). Lock, who has also ran for a career-best six touchdowns in 2018, is the engineer of a Tiger offense that ranks 20th nationally (3rd in the SEC) averaging 36.9 points per game.

Senior DT Terry Beckner, Jr. (East St. Louis, Ill.) also earned second-team All-SEC honors for his stellar play in 2018. Beckner led Mizzou in the regular season with 9.5 tackles for loss and added a pair of quarterback sacks to go with five quarterback pressures and 31 total tackles for a Tiger defense which improved throughout the year. He’s been a key reason why Mizzou’s defense has been very stout against the run, as the Tigers enter the bowl game ranked 22nd nationally (4th in the SEC), allowing 122.9 yards per game on the ground.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri senior point guard Jordan Geist has never been afraid of big moments. Last year, he took the blame when late-game passes and shots went awry. On Sunday, Geist played the hero as he led the Tigers to a 64-62 overtime victory over UCF.

Geist scored a team-high 18 points, including a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

“It feels good to finally get one to fall,” said Geist, who missed last-second shots against Arkansas and Mississippi and had a late pass intercepted against Florida as a junior. “Last year, I took a couple of them that rattled out. To get one to fall, especially a shot like that, I love it.”

Javon Pickett added 13 points and Jeremiah Tilmon had 10 for Missouri (4-3). Tilmon’s up-and-under layup around UCF’s 7-foot-6, 310-pound Tacko Fall with 1:32 left in OT provided the winning margin.

The Knights (6-2) had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Collin Smith’s desperation shot from just inside the halfcourt line hit the backboard and rimmed out.

Aubrey Dawkins made 5 of 8 shots from 3-point range and led UCF with 22 points.

“He was good,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said of his son. “He gave us a chance to win, made some good plays for us.”

B.J. Taylor scored 12 and Smith added 11 for the Knights.

The Tigers had the ball with a chance to take the lead with 15 seconds left in regulation, but Pickett couldn’t inbound the ball within five seconds. That gave the ball back to UCF. When Dawkins hit two free throws, Missouri trailed 57-54. The Tigers had one more chance, and Geist made it count.

“I would rather have the ball in his hands, because he embraces those challenges,” Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said. “He can deal with whatever goes with it — if it goes in or it doesn’t go in.”

The tying play didn’t go as planned. Martin didn’t divulge how the play was supposed to work.

“Hopefully you’ll see it again and you’ll see it clearly,” Martin said. “I think guys kind of got boggled up.”

TO FOUL OR NOT?

At the end of regulation, Johnny Dawkins faced the eternal coaching question of whether to foul in the final seconds with a three-point lead. UCF didn’t, and Geist made the Knights pay.

“We talked about fouling if the opportunity presented itself, and the young man on the ball didn’t think the opportunity was really there,” Dawkins said. “So he just stayed locked in on him. And you give (Geist) credit, he made a tough, tough 3 — leaning, fading.”

TAKING ON TACKO

Fall wasn’t much of an offensive factor, scoring six points, but he was a game-changer defensively, blocking six shots. He got into Missouri players’ heads, especially in the first half, when the Tigers scored just 21 points on 23 percent shooting.

“He’s a giant,” Missouri sophomore forward Mitchell Smith said. “I’m 6-10, and when I walked by him, I was looking up.”

BIG PICTURE

UCF: The Knights saw their five-game winning streak end, but they continue to play suffocating defense. UCF has held its last six opponents to an average of 58.7 points. The Knights apply heavy pressure on the perimeter and have Fall inside to protect the rim.

Missouri: The Tigers got an unexpected boost from Mitchell Smith, who entered the game averaging just 3.2 points. Smith scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. He played 23 minutes before fouling out with 2:16 left in regulation. Smith started the second half in place of senior Kevin Puryear, who went scoreless, and stretched the UCF defense by making both of shots from 3-point range.

“Mitchell is one of our better flashers in the lane, and he can shoot the 3-point shot,” Martin said. “It’s a different element, and he presented some different matchups for us in a positive way on defense.”

UP NEXT

UCF: The Knights return to Orlando for five straight home games, beginning with Saturday’s game against Grambling.

Missouri: The Tigers will play UT Arlington on Tuesday at Mizzou Arena.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri has accepted an invitation for its football team to play in the 2018 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, as announced today. The 60th playing of the Liberty Bowl will pit the 8-4 and 23rd-ranked (College Football Playoff) Tigers against the Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-6) in a December 31, matchup in Memphis, Tenn. Kickoff is set for 2:45 p.m. (central time) with the game broadcast on ESPN.

Mizzou, under the direction of third-year Head Coach Barry Odom, comes into bowl season as one of the hottest teams in the country, as it won four straight games, and five of its last six, to close the 2018 regular season. The Tigers have one of the top road wins in the country this season, when they claimed a 38-17 victory at CFP #10 Florida on Nov. 3rd. Mizzou has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, according to numerous computer ranking models, and has two losses on the last play of the game – including to CFP #14 Kentucky and at 7-5 South Carolina (ranked 28th in the FPI rankings). This will mark the second-straight bowl game appearance under Odom, as his 2017 Tigers closed last season in the Texas Bowl.

Mizzou has a history with the Liberty Bowl, which began in 1959 and is the seventh-oldest college bowl game. The Tigers played twice in the Liberty Bowl during a three-year period, defeating LSU (20-15) in the 1978 classic, and falling to Purdue (28-25) in 1980. The 1978 Mizzou team celebrated its 40th anniversary earlier this season in Columbia.

The Tigers boast numerous ties to the Memphis community, as well, starting with Head Coach Barry Odom, who served as defensive coordinator at the University of Memphis for three seasons (2012-14). Mizzou defensive coordinator Ryan Walters also spent the 2014 season with Odom at Memphis as the team’s cornerbacks coach, and director of athletic performance Rohrk Cutchlow is a Memphis graduate who led athletic performance operations there for four years (2012-15) before being recruited to Mizzou by Odom prior to the 2016 season.

Additionally, Mizzou has a strong roster presence from Memphis and the state of Tennessee. Junior WR Johnathon Johnson, who leads the Tigers with 50 receptions in 2018 (552 yards, four touchdowns) and true freshman RB Tyler Badie, who amassed 735 all-purpose yards this season (including 407 rushing yards and two touchdowns) both hail from Memphis, as does sophomore reserve LB Aubrey Miller, Jr. Johnson attended Melrose High School, while Badie attended Briarcrest Christian and Miller went to Whitehaven. In all, seven current Tigers are Tennessee natives.

The Tigers and Cowboys last met in the 2014 AT&T Cotton Bowl, when Mizzou claimed a 41-31 win to wrap up a 12-2 season. Mizzou leads the alltime series between the two former conference mates, 29-23 overall.

— Mizzou Athletics —

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball dominated the No. 21-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers on the road, 68-51, on Sunday afternoon in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Mizzou was led by a career performance from junior guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.), who set career highs in points (28) and rebounds (13) while recording her fourth double-double of the season.

After entering Sunday’s contest averaging 85.8 points, the Mountaineers were held to a season-low 51 points. The Tigers were able to hold West Virginia to season-low shooting numbers from the field and three-point range, as the Mountaineers shot 27.9 percent from the field (17-for-61) and 27.8 percent from three (5-for-18). West Virginia’s previous season-lows were 78 points, 42.9 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three.

Mizzou’s has held its opponents to 52.8 points in its six victories this season.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou’s defense was stellar throughout the entirety of the game, and especially the second quarter, as the Tigers held the Mountaineers to six points in the second frame. West Virginia shot a mere 12.5 percent from the field in the quarter, as the Tigers were able to take a 34-23 lead heading into the locker room. Smith led the way for Mizzou on the defensive end in the first half, as four of her six rebounds in the half came on the defensive glass, while all three of her game-high three blocks came in the first frame. Redshirt junior forward Hannah Schuchts (Tallahassee, Fla.) was also effective on the defensive glass, as she pulled down five defensive rebounds and six boards total in the first half while also recording one block.

TOP TIGERS

• Smith reached 20 points for the fifth time in her career with a career-high 28 points, and recorded her fourth double-double of the season with a career-high 13 rebounds. Smith also set a career-high in field goals made as she shot 10-for-15 from the field while recording a game-high three blocks.
• Redshirt freshman guard Haley Troup (Gadsden, Ala.) played the best game of her young career, as she set career highs in points (14), rebounds (six), field goals made (five) and three-pointers made (three). Troup shot 5-for-9 from the field and 3-for-5 from three in 18 minutes off the bench.
• Making her third consecutive start, junior guard Jordan Chavis (Lexington, N.C.) scored 11 points while grabbing a season-high five rebounds.

NOTES

• Mizzou’s defense held West Virginia to 34.8 points below its season average as the Mountaineers scored 51 points on Sunday. The Tigers were also able to hold West Virginia to season lows in field goal percentage (27.9 percent), three-point percentage (27.8 percent), field goals (17) and three-pointers (five).
• In Mizzou’s six victories this season, the Tigers have held their opponents to 52.8 points. Mizzou has held its opponent to 65 points or less in seven of eight games this season.
• Smith recorded her fourth double-double of the season and the sixth of her career with 28 points and 13 rebounds. The double-double performance moved her into a tie for second for the most double-doubles in the SEC this season, trailing only Mississippi State’s Tearia McCowan and LSU’s Ayana Mitchell with five.

UP NEXT

Mizzou returns home to Mizzou Arena to face UMKC on Thursday, Dec. 6. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Quinton Rose scored 18 points to lead Temple to a 79-77 victory over Missouri.

Shizz Alston finished with 15 points and six assists, De’Vondre Perry added 11 points and Ernest Aflakpui grabbed 12 rebounds for the Owls (6-1).

Temple outscored Missouri 16-4 in the final 3:20 of the first half to open a 42-32 halftime lead. The Tigers (3-3) got within two points in the final two minutes thanks to outstanding outside shooting — they were 11 of 19 from 3-point range — but the Owls never gave up their lead after intermission.

Missouri’s Jordan Geist hit a 3-pointer to cut the Temple lead to 77-75 with 14 seconds left, but Alston was fouled and made both free throws to secure the game.

Mark Smith led Missouri with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, Kevin Puryear added 16 points and Jeremiah Tilmon had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

BIG PICTURE

Temple: It was the Owls’ third victory over a Power 5 conference opponent this season, after they previously defeated Georgia and California.

Missouri: Temple entered the game ranked seventh nationally with 10.5 steals per game, and Missouri entered with a minus-2.2 turnover margin. As expected, turnovers hurt the Tigers, who committed 15 while forcing only five.

UP NEXT

Temple: The Owls return to Philadelphia for a game at Saint Joseph’s on Saturday.

Missouri: The Tigers will face a second straight American Athletic Conference opponent when UCF visits Mizzou Arena on Sunday. Temple was picked to finish sixth in the AAC by the league’s coaches, while UCF was projected to win the league.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri sophomore DT Jordan Elliott (Missouri City, Texas) has been named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week, as announced this morning by the league office. Elliott, who shares the weekly award with LB Devin White of LSU, was cited after a career performance on Friday which keyed Mizzou’s 38-0 shutout win over Arkansas that closed the regular season and improved the Tigers to 8-4.

It is rare for an interior lineman to impact a game the way Elliott did Friday, but he was a virtual one-man wrecking crew against the Razorbacks as the Tiger defense pitched its first SEC shutout in program history, while earning MU’s first shutout of a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) school since a 14-0 win at Iowa State in 2010. It was also Mizzou’s largest shutout win over an FBS foe since a 58-0 win over Colorado in 2008.

Elliott keyed the day thanks to career highs in both quarterback sacks (3.0) and tackles for loss (4.0), on his way to a five-tackle day. His second-quarter blind-side sack jarred the ball loose and ended in a fumble recovery for a touchdown for teammate Akial Byers which made the score 21-0 with 12:33 left in the first half. Elliott’s three sacks marked the first of his Tiger career, and his four tackles behind the line of scrimmage equaled his 11-game season total coming into the contest.

Mizzou held Arkansas to just 187 yards of total offense in the shutout effort, well below the Razorbacks’ season average of 349.2 yards and 23.6 points per game coming in. Arkansas’ minus 21 yards rushing in the first half was also the lowest first-half rushing total by any FBS team in 2018.

He is the first Tiger to win SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors since Nov. 6, 2017 when safety Anthony Sherrils was honored for his game against Florida – and he’s also the first Tiger defensive tackle to win the award.

This marks the ninth time since Mizzou joined the SEC in 2012 that a Tiger has won or shared the weekly Defensive Player of the Week award. That history includes: 2012 – S Kenronte Walker (Sept. 17 vs. Arizona State); 2013 – LB Kentrell Brothers (Oct. 14 vs. Georgia); 2013 – DE Michael Sam (Oct. 21 vs. Florida); 2013 – CB E.J. Gaines (Dec. 2 vs. Texas A&M); 2014 – DE Shane Ray (Sept. 13 vs. UCF); 2014 – DE Markus Golden (Nov. 22 vs. Tennessee); 2015 – LB Kentrell Brothers (Sept. 12 vs. Arkansas State); 2017 – SS Anthony Sherrils (Nov. 6 vs. Florida).

Mizzou will be heading to its second-straight bowl game under Head Coach Barry Odom, and the Tigers will learn of their bowl destination this Sunday afternoon.

— Mizzou Athletics —