Jan. 2, 2007
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Stefhon Hannah scored a career-high 27 points and added five steals to his NCAA-leading average as Missouri beat Mississippi State 83-75 Tuesday.
Hannah, who entered the game averaging 3.9 steals a game, also had five rebounds and five assists for the Tigers (11-2). Matt Lawrence added 17 points, including five 3-pointers.
Reginald Delk led the Bulldogs (9-4) with 16 points, Jamont Gordon had 15 points and Barry Stewart added 11.
The Tigers gave first-year coach Mike Anderson, who spent the previous four years at Alabama-Birmingham, his 100th career win.
As Missouri prepares to open its Big 12 season Saturday at home against Iowa State, the Tigers already are just one victory shy of last season's win total. The team's 11-2 start marks its best since 1998-99, the final year of Norm Stewart's long reign as Tigers coach.
Mississippi State begins Southeastern Conference play Sunday against No. 19 Tennessee.
Post Game Notes
For the third consecutive game, Missouri started a line-up of Stefhon Hannah, Jason Horton and Matt Lawrence at guard and Marshall Brown and Leo Lyons at forward.
Head Coach Mike Anderson won his 100th career game as a head coach. Anderson won 89 games over four seasons at UAB and improved to 11-2 as the sideline boss in Columbia. That's the best start for a first year head coach at Mizzou since George Bond started 12-1 in 1922-23.
The first half of Tuesday's contest was a game of runs. Mizzou opened the contest with a 13-0 run, before Mississippi State responded with a 13-0 run of its own. Then the Bulldogs used a 12-2 run to build a 10-point lead, before the Tigers closed the half with a 14-0 run to take a 43-37 lead into halftime.
The Tigers won their 18th consecutive home game vs. non-conference opposition. That's the longest run of non-conference wins at home since the Tigers won 18 straight over the 2000-03 seasons.
Mizzou improved to 11-0 at home this season. That's the highest number of non-conference wins in Mizzou single-season history.
Missouri also increased its overall homecourt winning streak to 12 games. That streak is the nation's 18th longest. Mizzou is tied with Belmont on that list.
Stefhon Hannah had his most productive first half of the season. The Chicago, Ill., native scored 17 points, dished three assists and had three steals. The 17 first-half tallies by Hannah were the most for a Tiger this season. Marshall Brown had 16 points in the opening period vs. Coppin State on Nov. 27.
Hannah finished the contest with a career high 27 points. Hannah has now topped 20 points in five games this season and has done it vs. big time opposition. Hannah scored 20 vs. Davidson (No. 28 in the most recent RPI), 21 vs. Arkansas, 21 at Purdue and 23 vs. Illinois. Think this kid's a big-game player?
The 27 points by Hannah tie Matt Lawrence for the most points by a Tiger this season. Lawrence scored 27 in the opener vs. North Carolina A&T.
Hannah also finished the game with five steals to move into ninth on Missouri's single-season steals list. Hannah passed Clarence Gilbert (2001-02) and Mike Sandbothe (1986-87) who each had 50 steals during their respective seasons. Hannah currently has 52 steals through just 13 games. His 4.0 steals per game average leads the NCAA Division I ranks.
The Tigers were again outstanding at forcing turnovers. After forcing 32 miscues by Southern on Dec. 30, the Tigers forced Mississippi State into 24 miscues.
Consequently, the Tigers finished the game with 12 steals. Mizzou has topped double figures in steals nine times this season. Last year the Tigers topped double figures in steals just three times.
Missouri improved to 2-0 against the Southeastern Conference this season. The Tigers also recorded an 86-64 win over Arkansas on Nov. 30.
The Tigers also topped the 80-point plateau for the eighth time this season. Over the previous two seasons combined Missouri topped 80 points just six total times.
Missouri took a season high three charges. Mizzou's previous high was two set vs. Stetson, Davidson and Evansville.
Missouri entered the game averaging 83.3 points per game at home and upped that average by finishing with 87 total points.
With his three consecutive three-point makes to open the game, sophomore guard Matt Lawrence enjoyed a streak of eight consecutive makes from beyond the arc over a stretch of two games. Lawrence finished the Dec. 30 contest vs. Southern with five consecutive makes from three-point land.
Lawrence finished the game 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. Over his last two games, Lawrence is 11-of-15 from three-point range. That's a shooting percentage of 73.3.
