Jordan Geist scored 12 of his 18 points in the first half as visiting Missouri breezed to a 64-39 victory over Georgia in a Southeastern Conference clash on Wednesday in Athens, Ga.
While Geist made 8 of 12 field-goal attempts, both teams struggled mightily from the floor as they each misfired on their first 14 3-point attempts. Torrence Watson ended the drought for the Tigers, connecting from beyond the arc to give them a 32-16 lead with 15:22 remaining in the second half.
Watson made four more 3-pointers and finished with 17 points for Missouri (14-15, 5-12 SEC), which recorded back-to-back victories for the first time since its season-high, six-game winning streak in December.
Jeremiah Tilmon and Reed Nikko each had eight points, and Kevin Puryear chipped in with seven to help the Tigers secure their second road win of the season. Missouri cruised to a 66-43 triumph at Texas A&M on Jan. 19.
Mitchell Smith collected 11 of the Tigers' season-best 50 rebounds. His total on Wednesday was one shy of the rebound total from his previous eight games combined.
JoJo Toppin ended Georgia's 0-for-15 skid from 3-point range by making his first of the season with 11:09 remaining in the second half.
Nicolas Claxton collected nine points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs (11-19, 2-15), who shot 13-for-51 (25.5 percent) from the field and 3-for-20 from 3-point range en route to falling for the 10th time in 11 outings.
Geist bounced back from a 7-for-20 performance from the field in his previous two games by making 5 of 9 shots in the first half. He celebrated Senior Night by scoring six consecutive Tigers points to give Missouri an early 8-5 lead before his layup capped an 8-0 run to push the advantage to 17-9 with 6:47 remaining in the first half.
Geist's reverse layup and a pair of foul shots helped the Tigers stake a 25-14 lead after the conclusion of a first half that saw both clubs struggle from the field. Missouri made 11 of 34 shots (32.4 percent) while Georgia converted just 6 of 26 attempts (23.1 percent).
--Field Level Media
Missouri | Georgia | |
Jordan Geist 18 | Scoring | Nicolas Claxton 9 |
Jordan Geist 6 | Assists | E'Torrion Wilridge 3 |
Mitchell Smith 11 | Rebounds | Nicolas Claxton 10 |
Jordan Geist 2 | Free Throws Made | Nicolas Claxton 3 |
Javon Pickett 2 | Steals | Nicolas Claxton 1 |
Kevin Puryear 1 | Blocks | Derek Ogbeide 2 |