TAMPA, Fla. — Behind a 16-point scoring effort by Kobe Brown, the University of Missouri men’s basketball team claimed a 72-60 first-round win in the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Wednesday evening against Ole Miss in Amalie Arena.
The Tigers’ 12-point victory tied for the largest in program history at the SEC Tournament and set up a second-round meeting with LSU, Thursday afternoon.
“Great win for our guys,” said head coach Cuonzo Martin. “It’s not easy beating a team three games in a row. A tremendous amount of focus. We held them to 60 points in three games, which is impressive with a team that scores and moves the way they move.”
Brown added nine boards and four assists to his team-best point total, recording 15 or more points for the third-consecutive game. It was a balanced scoring attack for Mizzou as Ronnie DeGray III contributed 14 first-half points and four other Tigers scored nine points each. As a team, Mizzou shot 54 percent from the floor.
TURNING POINT
Tied at 32 coming out of halftime, Mizzou exploded for a 13-2 run where the Tigers made five straight field goals. The Tigers further extended their lead to 14, 52-48, and shut down Ole Miss from there. Ole Miss had its best opportunity to make a run when they held Mizzou without a field goal for over two minutes, but the Rebels made just two free throws before a second-chance layup by Coleman kept the lead at double-digits.
GAME NOTES
- Wednesday was the Tigers’ third-win against Ole Miss this season, making it the first time Mizzou has beat a team three times in the same season since 2012.
- The Tigers move to 6-7 all-time in the SEC Tournament and have won at least one game in the last four-straight tournaments held.
- Mizzou’s 12-point margin of victory, tied the largest for an SEC Tournament win in program history. It matched the 2013, 62-50, win over Texas A&M.
- Three of Mizzou’s four highest shooting percentages this season have come against Ole Miss. The Tigers’ shot 54 percent from the floor Wednesday night.
- Wednesday was Kobe Brown’s 30th double-digit scoring game of his career.
- Trevon Brazile had another near double-double with nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
- Brazile tied a school SEC Tournament record with three blocks, matching Jeremiah Tilmon’s number against Georgia last year.
UP NEXT
Missouri continues action in the SEC Tournament with a second-round matchup against LSU. The Tigers will face off against fifth-seeded LSU at approximately 1:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network and the Tiger Radio Network. Visit SEC Championship Central for additional information.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou Men’s Basketball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @MizzouHoops. Fans should call 1-800-CAT-PAWS for tickets or buy online today!
