NCAAB Game Recap - Illinois at Missouri
Sat Dec 21, 2019 1:00 PM EST

Kansas
55
Vill
56
F
E WA
77
Gonz
112
F
OhSt
71
KY
65
F
TXSo
78
Oreg
84
F
JackSt
49
Mem
77
F
Leh
51
Aub
74
F
Colora
78
Dayt
76
F(OT)
Presb
44
Mich
86
F
E MI
48
MSU
101
F
Ariz
67
StJon
70
F
Butl
70
Purd
61
F
SoFL
60
FSU
66
F
SDSU
80
Utah
52
F
JSU
53
Tenn
75
F
UTRGV
58
TxTch
68
F
WVU
75
YSU
64
F
FaDi
58
LaSal
66
F
Ind
62
ND
60
F
VCU
63
WichSt
73
F
NCAT
64
Wake
76
F
Harv
88
GrgWas
75
F
Samf
71
GTown
99
F
Bry
64
Dart
60
F
(N/A)
74
USC-Up
92
F
Ida
57
SDSt
85
F
Mont
82
NebOm
87
F(OT)
Ill
56
Mizzu
63
F
(N/A)
59
Campbl
82
F
Tul
82
Tows
86
F(OT)
Boston
74
UMassL
62
F
Rider
66
Temp
78
F
(N/A)
57
Penn
105
F
MorSt
76
Ohio
82
F
TxSt
69
GASt
81
F
TexAr
74
GaSo
77
F
Maris
56
BethC
85
F
Quin
69
BGSU
64
F
Elon
80
Winth
85
F
Army
62
Merrim
82
F
UCF
52
Okla
53
F
Drake
85
AF
80
F
TXAMC
67
CenAR
71
F
(N/A)
71
TNSt
86
F
MOSt
72
ORU
82
F
WIGB
85
NIU
84
F
SeLA
76
Miss
83
F
BelAb
66
HiPt
92
F
WriSt
79
Toled
72
F
W Ky
82
URI
86
F(OT)
Tex
48
Prov
70
F
Fairf
61
Oakl
59
F(OT)
Chat
68
UNCA
64
F
Albany
70
Monm
72
F
Brad
55
Mia-O
71
F
Copp
60
Mia-FL
91
F
(N/A)
45
LoyMD
72
F
Niag
72
Buff
92
F
Stony
77
Amer
74
F
ColSt
111
Tuls
104
F(3OT)
APSU
77
Duques
86
F
UtSt
65
Fla
62
F
USD
59
Stan
62
F
UCLA
64
UNC
74
F
RobM
69
UNLV
81
F
Wyo
72
Denv
66
F(OT)
App
70
Troy
65
F
Toug
77
USM
96
F
NOrl
79
SHSU
87
F
ArkSt
62
ULM
59
F
StBon
66
MTSU
65
F
SIU-E
55
Detr
81
F
Belm
72
Bama
92
F
Akr
67
Lib
80
F
NoAZ
73
Pepp
75
F
IlSt
70
UTSA
89
F
SEMO
45
SIU
64
F
CoCar
81
USA
69
F
Lamar
61
NWSt
67
F
SFA
81
McNee
73
F
VMI
55
VaTec
64
F
UMBC
53
GMas
69
F
Clev
55
ETSU
80
F
SCSt
61
Charl
73
F
Drex
53
Norf
49
F
S NO
47
LaTec
87
F
UCDav
84
USF
93
F
WIMil
64
Wisc
83
F
UAB
71
ASU
63
F
WCU
89
TNTec
76
F
BC
64
Cal
60
F
Minn
86
OkSt
66
F
ArkPB
53
N TX
86
F
UND
75
Nebras
74
F
NFla
70
Syr
82
F
Buck
71
Sien
81
F
(N/A)
62
FlGlf
84
F
Murr
76
Evans
78
F(OT)
InWor
59
WaSt
87
F
UtVal
65
LongB
68
F
StLou
66
KSU
63
F
NoKY
50
UNCG
67
F
Hamp
64
Kent
103
F
ChaSo
76
E KY
69
F
UNCW
73
Vand
88
F
E IL
63
GrCan
85
F
ArkLR
69
UL
66
F
Nich
61
AbCh
79
F
Valpa
60
Ark
51
F
NW
78
DeP
83
F
Crei
67
AzSt
60
F
OrSt
49
TAMU
64
F
LSU
68
USC
70
F
Web
61
BYU
91
F
Cin
70
Iowa
77
F
FlaAM
71
Seatt
57
F
CSBak
72
CAPoly
50
F
IdaSt
66
Pacif
77
F
StMar
68
Nev
63
F

Dec 21, 2019, 1:00 PM EST

Final

1

2

T

Illinois

23

33

56

Missouri

26

37

63

Smith scores 19 points as Missouri beats Illinois 63-56
Sat Dec 21, 2019 4:57 PM

ST. LOUIS (AP) A Chicago native, Missouri Tigers guard Xavier Pinson heard an earful from the Illinois Fighting Illini’s fans during the 39th Annual Braggin’ Rights game on Saturday.

Pinson and his teammates had the last laugh.

Dru Smith scored 19 points, Javon Pickett added 17 off the bench, and Missouri beat Illinois 63-56.

Pinson also scored a career-high 14 points for the Tigers, who won their third straight game.

“I was just trying to get the win. I heard what he said. As a player I can’t say nothing so I was just worried about the win and making sure that we won so after the game I could say something if I saw him,” joked Pinson, who gave a little wave to that Illini fan in the final seconds with the game in hand. “For the most part I really don’t pay attention to it. I just laugh it off.”

Ayo Dosunmu scored 21 and Kofi Cockburn added 13 for Illinois, which had its two-game winning streak snapped.

The Tigers dominated with a stifling defense. Illinois shot just 18 for 50 (36%) and had three separate stretches of at least three minutes without scoring a point.

The Fighting Illini entered the game No. 1 in the country in rebounding differential, but were outrebounded by Missouri 36-32.

“We have good defensive numbers, but I think we could have truly elite numbers if we truly took pride on playing defense and not so much playing because that’s what coach requires, but understanding when you defend at an elite level, you have a chance to beat anybody,” Tigers coach Cuonzo Martin said.

Missouri outscored Illinois 17-5 in an eight-minute span from the end of the first half into the second.

Missouri scored eight of the last 10 points of the first half with Smith scoring all of the points during the spurt to give the Tigers a 26-23 halftime lead.

Smith started a 9-3 run to begin the second half with a bucket and finished it with a dish to Pinson for a 3-pointer from the corner to extend Missouri’s lead to 35-26.

An 8-0 sprint pushed the Tigers’ lead to double-digits. Pinson scored the first four points, and a Pickett put-back gave Missouri a 47-33 edge with 10:56 left.

“We came in here wanting to be the physical team,” Pickett said. “We wanted to go out there and be aggressive and guard the whole game. … We just wanted to be the tougher team.”

Illinois was able to cut the deficit to five with a Dosunmu bucket with a minute left, but Pinson and Smith quelled the rally with free throws for the Tigers.

Thanks to Pickett and Pinson, the Tigers’ bench outscored the Illinois reserves 31-10.

“We talked about extensively in practice - Javon Pickett,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “We’ve got a man sitting out who does a great job of emulating him, and he wore us out for two days in practice, just doing Javon Pickett stuff.”

Illinois hit on 5 of its first 7 field goal attempts to start the game. Dosunmu hit a couple of jumpers and Giorgi Bezhanishvili drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Fighting Illini an 11-5 lead.

Missouri started the game shooting just 3 of 13, but Pickett got the Tigers going with a pair of treys.

The Tigers defense forced two prolonged Fighting Illini scoring droughts in the first half, one of over three minutes and the other over four minutes.

Illinois maintained its lead for much of the half with Dosunmo’s 11 points, including shooting 5 of 7.

MANAGING MINUTES

Missouri big man Jeremiah Tilmon sat most of the first half with two fouls and fouled out with 4:29 left in the game. But despite not having the 6-foot-10 forward’s presence, the Tigers still outrebounded Illinois - which entered the game as one of the nation’s top rebounding teams - 36-32.

HE SAID IT

“I always say to our guys you have to play with boxing gloves on, then we’ll start playing basketball,” Martin said. “I don’t say that like we’re fighting. They understand what I mean. It has to be a physical game, do it without fouling. You have to set a tone of toughness before you step on to the floor because I think if you walk on the floor casual the result will be like Charleston.”

BIG PICTURE

Illinois: Despite dropping their second-straight to the Tigers, the Fighting Illini still leads the Braggin’ Rights series 25-14.

Missouri: After starting the month with the worst loss in recent memory to Charleston Southern on Dec. 3, the Tigers finished the month on a high by winning their second-straight Braggin’ Rights game, propelling them into SEC play.

“He needs to figure out how to make all the other opponents they play wear Illinois jerseys,” Underwood said of Martin. “Because that’s a team that played as well as they’ve played all year.”

UP NEXT

Illinois hosts North Carolina A&T on December 29.

Missouri returns home to face Chicago State on December 30.

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

Illinois PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
A. Dosunmu 21 0 0 5 1 1
K. Cockburn 13 0 0 2 1 2
Missouri PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
D. Smith 19 0 4 5 1 0
J. Pickett 17 0 0 6 1 1

Team Comparison

Ill Mizzu
Points For 56 63
Field Goals 18/50-36% 23/54-43%
Three Pointers 2/14-14% 5/14-36%
Free Throws 18/23-78% 12/16-75%
Offensive Rebounds 12 13
Defensive Rebounds 20 23
Rebounds 38 41
Blocks 5 3
Steals 7 10
Turnovers 17 19
Personal Fouls 20 21
Technical Fouls 1 1
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - Mizzu Leads Series 1-0

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Sat Dec 21 Ill 56 @ Mizzu 63 A. Dosunmu 21 D. Smith 19

Game Information

Stadium: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Attendance: 15,259
Game Time: