by David Cassilo / @dcassilo
After its dramatic win over No. 7 Kansas on Saturday, No. 4 Missouri narrowly avoided an upset against Oklahoma, eventually prevailing, 71-68. The Sooners had a chance to tie at the buzzer, but the shot by junior guard Steven Pledger fell short.
Leading the way once again for the Tigers was senior guard Marcus Denmon, who finished with 25 points. Denmon is beginning to make his case for National Player of the Year as he continues to pile up high scoring totals in Missouri victories. Monday was the fifth time this season that Denmon has been able to score at least 25 points.
His performance helped avoid a letdown that almost seemed inevitable.
From the Columbia Daily Tribune:
“You say it. You say you’ve got to bounce back, you’ve got to be ready,” senior Kim English said. “But it’s just natural to get excited after a win of that magnitude, an atmosphere of that magnitude.”
The win gave the Tigers the lead in the Big 12 by a half game over Kansas and No. 6 Baylor. Missouri will play the Bears on Saturday. On Jan. 21, the Tigers picked up a road victory, 89-88, in their first meeting with Baylor.
