Namon Wright’s big push late held off ASU (photo/Mizzou Athletics)
The Missouri Tigers let a commanding lead midway through the second half slowly slip to a four-point game, but the Tigers prevailed down the stretch, snapping a three-game losing streak with an 88-78 win over Arkansas State, Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena.
The Tigers opened the game with an 11-0 lead as the Red Wolves missed their first eleven shots. Arkansas State used an 8-0 run to close it back to a 31-20 Tigers lead with just over four and a half minutes left.
A technical foul was called against ASU head coach John Brady after the Tigers drew a shooting foul. Mizzou made all four free throws to up the lead to 15. With 1:29 left in the first half, Tremaine Isabell was fouled as he drove the lane, completing a three-point play and increasing the Tigers lead to 44-23.
The lead would grow to as much as 25 in the opening minutes of the second half and Mizzou maintained a lead of 66-43 with 11:49 to play.
Arkansas State made a run late, cutting the lead down to 67-58 with 6:45 to play. ASU went on a 9-0 charge while the Tigers went cold hitting just 2-of-11 in a 5:04 stretch.
Devin Carter hit a three-pointer giving him a game high 24 and closing the game to 70-66, but Namon Wright answered with a three and was fouled. He completed the four-point play and then after a Terrance Phillips steal, he found Wright for a layup to make it a ten-point lead with 4:13 to play.
ASU would get no closer than eight the rest of the way.
Every Tiger found the scoresheet. Wright led five Tigers in double figures with 14 points. Isabell had 11 and the trio of Kevin Puryear, Rosburg, and KJ Walton each had 10.
