Even Georgia men’s basketball coach Tom Crean was complimentary of Mizzou forward Reed Nikko.
The senior came up with the play of the night to seal the win. Georgia’s Anthony Edwards drove in for a game-tying layup in the final 10 seconds, but Nikko swatted the ball from behind. Mitchell Smith grabbed the rebound and was fouled to put him at the line to clinch the game. Nikko started his work much earlier. Nikko finished the night with a career-high 13 points – adding five rebounds and two blocks.
The Tigers rallied from a 20-point deficit in the final 14 minutes to win in the closing minute against Georgia, 72-69 on Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena. The loss snaps a four-game losing streak for Mizzou (10-10, 2-5 SEC). Cuonzo Martin talks about Nikko’s play.
The Tigers ended the game on a 27-8 run over the final 10:30. Georgia (11-9, 1-6 SEC) led for 30:32 of game time, and held a double-digit lead for 15:14. Mizzou’s defense held Georgia to a five-minute scoring drought in the second half to help fuel the comeback. Sophomore guard Xavier Pinson scored a go-ahead layup with 37 seconds remaining to put Mizzou ahead 71-69. Five Tigers scored in double-digits on the night, led by 16 points from Pinson and Dru Smith.
