No. 22 Missouri 71, South Carolina 65: Earnest Ross scored a season-high 21 points to go with 10 rebounds and Jabari Brown capped a 17-point night with a key 3-pointer with 14.2 seconds left as the host Tigers survived a scare.
Alex Oriakhi contributed a season-high 18 points and 11 rebounds for short-handed Missouri (14-4, 3-2 SEC), which won its 12th straight home game despite playing without forward Laurence Bowers (knee) and guard Keion Bell (ankle).
Brenton Williams scored 16 points and R.J. Slawson added 12 before fouling out for South Carolina (11-7, 1-4), which has suffered all four of its conference losses by seven points or less.
The Gamecocks led 35-27 at the half and extended the margin to 13 early in the second half before Missouri mounted its comeback. The Tigers used a 20-2 run to regain the lead, but couldn't put South Carolina away.
Missouri finally landed the knockout blow when Ross drove the lane and kicked it out to Brown, who knocked down the 3-pointer from the corner after missing six of his first seven attempts from long range.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Tigers were 6-for-30 from the field and 1-for-14 from 3-point range in the first half. … South Carolina dropped to 10-2 this season when shooting a higher percentage from the field than its opponent. … Oriakhi had a perfect shooting night, going 4-for-4 from the floor and 10-for-10 from the foul line.
South Carolina | Missouri | |
Brenton Williams 16 | Scoring | Earnest Ross 21 |
Bruce Ellington 3 | Assists | Phil Pressey 7 |
Bruce Ellington 9 | Rebounds | Alex Oriakhi 11 |
Laimonas Chatkevicius 4 | Free Throws Made | Alex Oriakhi 10 |
Lakeem Jackson 2 | Steals | Earnest Ross 3 |
Laimonas Chatkevicius 2 | Blocks | Alex Oriakhi 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
South Carolina | 65 | 36.9 | 6-20 | 11-17 | 9 | 38 | 2 | 6 | 13 |
Missouri | 71 | 33.3 | 5-27 | 28-36 | 10 | 39 | 2 | 10 | 13 |