MUTIGERS
Missouri Knocks Off Nebraska, 67- 50

MUTIGERS.COM  Travon Bryant, right, dunks the ball over Nebraska's Brian Conklin, Tuesday night.
MUTIGERS.COM
Travon Bryant, right, dunks the ball over Nebraska's Brian Conklin, Tuesday night.
MUTIGERS.COM

Feb 18, 2003

Final Stats |  Notes

By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Ricky Clemons made six of his first eight shots and scored 20 points in Missouri's 67-50 victory Tuesday night.

Clemons led Missouri (16-6, 7-4 Big 12) to a season-best 13 3-pointers in 36 attempts against a sagging defense, going 6-for-12 from long range, and he added three steals. The Tigers won their first game since getting knocked out of the Top 25 for the first time this season because of a .500 record in their last 10 games and had their first double-digit victory in conference play.

Freshman Jimmy McKinney flirted with a triple-double, getting nine points, eight rebounds and eight assists for Missouri, 13-0 in the Hearnes Center for the first time since 1995-96. Rickey Paulding had 11 points to become the second Missouri player to top 1,000 career points this season, joining center Arthur Johnson, who had 10 points.

Missouri's previous high for 3-pointers this season was 11 against Wisconsin-Green Bay and Colorado. The Tigers finished seven shy of the school record for 3-pointers made and one shy of attempts, both last season at Colorado.

Missouri attempted 29 shots inside the 3-point arc, making 12 of them.

The emphasis on 3-pointers left the Tigers without a free throw attempt until Travon Bryant drew a shooting foul with 7:32 left, making one of two. Missouri finished 4-for-7 from the line.

Nate Johnson had 17 points and Andrew Drevo added 14 points and seven rebounds for Nebraska (9-15, 1-10), the Big 12's last-place team and winless at Missouri since 1995. The Cornhuskers have lost eight in a row and are 1-9 since Jake Muhleisen broke his hip Jan. 11.

Missouri was 4-for-23 from 3-point range in a 63-56 victory at Nebraska Jan. 29, including 1-for-10 misfiring by Clemons. Nebraska led 9-0 and 17-4 early in that game before collapsing in the second half.

 

 

Clemons had 14 of the Tigers' first 23 points in the rematch. Missouri was 9-for-22 from 3-point range in the half, taking advantage of a defense apparently designed to control the 6-foot-9, 260-pound Johnson. Johnson was held to six points and one rebound in the half as the Tigers took a 37-28 lead.