Mizzou Powers Past No. 19 Kentucky to Tip-Off SEC Play
SEC play has already brought out a different animal in the Missouri Tigers.
Or maybe it's the same animal that dominated the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Either way, the Tigers (12-1) took another major step in proving they're for real after a convincing 89-75 win over the No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats (8-4) in Columbia on Wednesday.
Mizzou trailed by one in the opening minutes. But once the Tigers took the lead back at 5-3, they would never trail the rest of the game. Missouri was able to put together efficient offense behind only eight turnovers, as the team was led by another stellar game from Kobe Brown (30 points), while D'Moi Hodge (15 points) continued to impress.
The Wildcats were led by a signature performance from star forward Oscar Tshiebwe (23 points, 19 rebounds).
The Tigers used a strong first half to jump out to a 42-30. The half was highlighted by a 7-0 run by Mizzou guard Sean East II while the Tigers held Kentucky without a field goal for nearly a four-minute stretch.
Missouri built its lead up to 17 at the start of the second half, but Kentucky cut it back to a single-digit deficit right before the midway point. But the Tigers hit three triples in under two minutes to balloon the lead once more, as Hodge nailed one before Brown hit two on back-to-back possessions.
This was the clear turning point after Kentucky seemed like it was going to make a comeback to get things closer in the closing stages of the second half. Early second-half foul trouble from the Wildcats allowed Mizzou to consistently get to the free throw line to slowly ice the game away.
After back-to-back ranked wins, the Tigers have put themselves in an undeniable position to move into and up the rankings. Mizzou takes on the No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks on Wednesday, Jan. 4.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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