Utah Utes vs Missouri Tigers Match Player Stats On Dec 18, 2021

Kobe Brown scored a career-high 27 points as the Missouri Tigers upset the Utah Utes 83-75 Saturday in Columbia, Mo.

Amari Davis added 17 points and Ronnie DeGray III had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Tigers (6-5), who bounced back from a 102-65 loss to Kansas in their previous game.

Utah (7-4) played without leading scorer Branden Carlson, the 7-foot center who was sidelined for this game and the next one due to health-and-safety protocols. That negated the inside advantage Utah expected to have over Missouri, which has shifted to smaller lineups in recent games.

The Utes got 18 points from David Jenkins Jr., 16 points from Marco Anthony and 15 from Both Gach.

Missouri switched up its starting lineup, adding freshmen Anton Brookshire and Trevon Brazile while bringing veterans DeGray, Davis, DaJuan Gordon and Boogie Coleman off the bench.

Javon Pickett hit three early baskets to push Missouri out to a 6-3 lead. Jenkins responded with back-to-back three-point shots as Utah moved ahead 9-8.

The teams traded baskets for the rest of the first half, which ended with Utah leading 33-32. The biggest lead either team enjoyed during the first 20 minutes was three points.

Brown's seven-point burst lifted Missouri to a 50-47 lead with 14:05 left to play. Jenkins responded with a six-point surge to push Utah into a 60-56 lead with 10:03 left.

With Utah leading 65-60, the Utes tried to cross up Missouri with a 1-3-1 zone. But a DeGray hit three-pointer after the Tigers had missed 17 of their first 19 tries behind the arc.

An inside cut by Brown led to two free throws and a 65-65 tie. The Tigers kept feeding Brown and he hit six more free throws and two field goals as Missouri edged ahead 75-71.

Utah stayed in the zone and Coleman clinched the Missouri victory with a long three-footer from high above the key with 32 seconds left.

--Field Level Media