Tennessee 59, Missouri 51: Armani Moore collected 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Volunteers to a conference road win over the Tigers.
Kevin Punter scored 12 points and Derek Reese added 10 points and eight rebounds for Tennessee (11-5, 3-1 SEC), which has won seven of its last eight games. The Volunteers were 18-of-20 from the free-throw line while limiting the Tigers to six foul shots.
Namon Wright scored 13 points to lead Missouri (7-10, 1-3), which has lost three straight. Leading scorer Johnathan Williams III was shut out in the second half and finished with eight points while Keith Shamburger and Tramaine Isabell also added eight apiece.
Isabell's second 3-pointer tied it at 41 with 7:03 to play and Wes Clark answered a Reese jumper with a triple to put the Tigers ahead 44-43, their first lead since just over three minutes remained in the first half. The Tigers led 46-43 after a Jakeenan Gant layup but went 3 1/2 minutes without scoring while the Volunteers reeled off nine straight points, and Tennessee sealed it at the foul line.
Neither team led by more than four in the first half, as Missouri trailed just 26-24 at the break despite shooting 29.4 percent and going 2-of-11 from 3-point range. Tennessee scored the first four points of the second half and had the lead up to eight before committing turnovers on three straight possessions and allowing the Tigers to pull within 39-38 on a Shamburger 3-pointer with 9:16 remaining.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Tennessee has won its first two SEC road games for the first time since 2009. … Missouri had its full complement of scholarship players for the first time all season with freshman G Montaque Gill-Caesar returning from a three-game absence with a back injury and G Deuce Bello being reinstated following a five-game suspension for violating team rules. … Missouri has scored 25 points or fewer in a half eight times this season after doing so only 11 times over the previous four years combined.
Tennessee | Missouri | |
Armani Moore 15 | Scoring | Namon Wright 13 |
Josh Richardson 4 | Assists | Keith Shamburger 4 |
Armani Moore 11 | Rebounds | Keith Shamburger 6 |
Kevin Punter 4 | Free Throws Made | Keith Shamburger 2 |
Kevin Punter 3 | Steals | Wes Clark 3 |
Josh Richardson 2 | Blocks | Jakeenan Gant 3 |