Same script, different ending. Much like the Georgetown game on Tuesday, this Missouri-Oregon game looked the same in some ways, yet had a better finish as the Tigers held off the Ducks 83-80 at The Pit.
Missouri got off to a great start much like G-town did to them. The Tigers built a 20 point halftime lead after Oregon’s slow start where they went 1 for 14 to start the game. Just like the Tigers mounted a comeback from down 18 against the Hoyas, the Ducks battled back shooting 62% in the second half and hit two of their 15, three pointers in the closing 14 seconds to close to 82-80, but Michael Dixon hit one of two free throws and the Ducks missed a last chance.
Dixon summed it up best after the game. “They just didn’t go away. That would have been what you call a hangover.”
Leading the ninth ranked Tigers were Marcus Denmon who scored 19 points, Kim English had 12 points, Ricardo Ratliffe and Michael Dixon both added 11 points and Matt Pressey had 10. Ratliffe had three of Missouri’s five blocked shots in the first half as the Tigers held Oregon to 23% shooting in building a lead as big as 22.
Mizzou was playing their seventh game in 14 days and have logged a lot of air miles from Columbia to Cancun to Eugene. “We wore down and they took advantage,” Missouri coach Mike Anderson said.
The Tigers get five days off now before hosting Vanderbilt at Mizzou Arena on December 8th.
