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AP: Mizzou late rally clips Jayhawks
Published 2/6/2012 in Sports
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — After a bunch of off-target games, Marcus Denmon couldn't miss. Especially at the finish.
The senior guard hit three 3-pointers in the final 2:05, the last for the go-ahead points, and No. 4 Missouri scored the game's final 11 points to rally past No. 8 Kansas 74-71 in Game 1 of what could be the schools' final border showdown in Columbia on Saturday night.
"Marcus made three huge shots," said teammate Kim English, who added 18 points. "They were huge plays. Kansas didn't let up at all."
Denmon scored 29 points, two off his career best, and ended a long-range shooting slump with a career-best six 3-pointers in nine attempts.
The go-ahead 3-pointer came with 56 seconds to go for a one-point lead. Michael Dixon added a pair of free throws with 9.8 seconds left after an offensive foul on Tyshawn Taylor and Kansas' Elijah Johnson missed badly on a shot to tie it at the buzzer.
Missouri (21-2, 8-2 Big 12) beat Kansas for only the second time in the last 12 meetings, and the Tigers' impending departure for the SEC added spice to the final conference meeting in Columbia.
Thomas Robinson had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Kansas (18-5, 8-2), but the closing minutes were anguish for coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks were scoreless the final 3:20 after Taylor dunked for a 71-63 lead.
"We let up on the gas and they hit shots. Big shots," said Robinson, his voice choked with emotion. "We blew that game. I still give them credit for making shots."
Other miscues: Robinson was called for an offensive foul with 1:42 to go and with Missouri up by one, Taylor missed two free throws with 41 seconds to go.
"We obviously made some really bad plays late, really bad plays," Self said. "They've still got to make shots, but they had a guy that was unbelievable."
Missouri is 13-0 at home, and this was the closest call by far for a team that has usually dominated. The previous smallest margin was 11 points over Texas last month.
The rematch is Feb. 25 in Lawrence. It also could also be the final meeting between the schools for a while with bad feelings from Missouri's decision to leave for the SEC.
"I will say this: So much has been made about the hatred and that stuff," Self said. "Hey, this is hard for me to say to Missouri people, but I thought tonight that was about as classy an atmosphere as there is. I hope it'll be the same way when they come over to our place. I'm sure it will be."
Denmon had been just 5-for-31 from 3-point range the previous five games, and was held to six points on 3-for-12 overall shooting in a one-point victory at Texas on Monday, and had been spending extra time in the gym working on the shot. He hit all three 3-point attempts in a 16-point first half, helping Missouri take a 39-34 lead.
"That was the loudest I'd ever heard them," English said. "I was just so proud and excited."
There was little out-of-line behavior, other than a fan heaving what appeared to be a rolled-up T-shirt onto the court after Ricardo Ratliffe was whistled for his fourth foul with 6:22 to go.
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