COLUMBIA, Mo. — This Braggin’ Rights Game looked different than all the rest but ended with a familiar result for Cuonzo Martin’s Missouri Tigers.
Hosting the annual rivalry game against No. 6 Illinois in front of only a smattering of supporters from both programs, the Tigers showed off their depth and balance Saturday night and overcame an off night from two of their most important players in an 81-78 victory, their third straight in the series.
Come Monday, Martin’s Tigers (5-0) should find themselves nationally ranked for the first time since January 2014 after knocking off the Illini (4-2) despite leading scorer Mark Smith and starting center Jeremiah Tilmon barely factoring into the box score. Foul trouble dogged Tilmon, while Smith struggled to find his jumper against his former team.
Still, the Tigers found a way. Dru Smith and Xavier Pinson took turns slashing through the Illini on their way to a combined 35 points, one fewer than Illinois star guard Ayo Dosunmu scored on his career-high night. Javon Pickett came off the bench with his usual boundless energy and scoring touch with 14 points, and Kobe Brown added 12.
But the Illini had a chance late. With 10.9 seconds left, Brad Underwood’s team went the length of the floor and found an open look for Dosunmu on the wing, but he left it short. Brown grabbed the rebound to all but clinch the win.
Missouri took a 49-41 lead into halftime after another disappearing act from Tilmon.
After jostling with 7-footer Kofi Cockburn for the game’s opening stretch, Tilmon headed to the bench with his second foul with 12:18 left in the first half. Without Tilmon, the Tigers used a mix of strategies against Cockburn, sometimes 7-3 freshman Jordan Wilmore, sometimes 6-10 Mitchell Smith, sometimes 6-8 Parker Braun and for one extended stretch, 6-7 Brown in an especially small lineup.
Meanwhile, the Tigers and their newfound commitment to playing at a faster pace paid off with 16 transition points. In a half that featured 26 fouls, the Tigers benefited from the non-stop whistles, shooting 16 of 16 from the foul line.
A couple Dosunmu free throws put the Illini in front 22-20, their first lead since the game’s second possession, but the Tigers quickly regained the lead then fell behind just once more. A Pickett put-back pushed MU back ahead for good the rest of the half.
Both teams opened the second half with a sloppy start, but every time the Illini threatened to cut into Mizzou’s lead, the Tigers found an answer on both ends of the floor. Graduate transfer point guard Drew Buggs scored his first basket for the Tigers to keep the Tigers in front by six. Later, a Brown 3-pointer extended MU’s lead to eight, but Tilmon was whistled for his third foul under the basket. His fourth came with 10:50 left.
Like they did late last season when a foot injury sidelined the big man, Mizzou played better with Tilmon on the bench. A deep Dru Smith 3-pointer gave the Tigers a 69-56 lead, their biggest of the night.
But Dosunmu refused to let the game slip away. He continued to attack the rim no matter which Tiger tried guarding him.
With a chance to make it a one-possession game, Dosunmu missed a pair of free throws with 5:37 left, followed by two free throws by Tilmon.
Illinois kept coming. Back-to-back dunks by Cockburn trimmed Mizzou’s lead to one heading into the final media timeout.
Tilmon fouled out with 1:54 left trying to gain position in the post against Cockburn, ending his night with just three points and two rebounds with four turnovers.
After a Pinson spinning floater put the Tigers up four, Cockburn cut the lead to two on a dunk, but after reviewing the play, the officials assessed Cockburn a flagrant foul for leveling Mitchell Smith in the face. The Illini never recovered and minutes later the Tigers returned from their locker room with Pinson clutching the Braggin’ Rights trophy to hoist again, just like the last two years in St. Louis.
