Missouri holds off late charge, beats No. 6 Illinois 81-78
AP
Dec 13, 2020
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) Missouri Tigers had no answer for Illinois Fighting Illini star Ayo Dosunmu.
Luckily for the Tigers, there wasn't much else from the Fighting Illini to worry about.
Missouri held off a late charge from No. 6 Illinois and overcame 36 points from Dosunmu for an 81-78 victory Saturday night.
Dru Smith had 17 points, Javon Pickett had 14 points and five rebounds and the Tigers held on in the annual ''Braggin' Rights'' rivalry game.
Missouri (5-0) led 49-41 at halftime and held on for its third straight win in the series. Illinois (4-2) trailed by 13 with nine minutes left but rallied to tie it before the Tigers closed out the upset.
''They're tough. They're basketball players,'' Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said of his team. ''They've took some lumps. Injuries, tough losses and all of that, we've taken our lumps. ... I thought our guards did a great job blocking out and being physical.''
Dosunmu set a career high in scoring on 13-of-20 shooting, and Kofi Cockburn had 19 points with six rebounds for Illinois. Andre Curbelo added in 14 points off the bench.
''Our lack of energy, our lack of effort, is beyond explanation,'' Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. ''Offensively, when one player has 36, we're not going to win. That's an imbalance that I don't like.''
Missouri guard Xavier Pinson ended the Tigers' seven-minute field goal drought on a spinning floater with 51 seconds left to make it 80-76. Cockburn threw down a dunk on the next possession, but that was waved off and he was given a Flagrant 1 foul after the 7-footer clipped Missouri's Mitchell Smith.
The Tigers ran down the clock before Kobe Brown air-balled a 3-pointer. Dosunmu took the ensuing inbounds pass the other way and missed an off-balanced 3 that was grabbed by Brown, who missed two free throws. Dosunmu tried to get off another late heave, but couldn't release in time.
''I heard their coach screaming, `Foul!' so I got in my shooting motion,'' Dosunmu said of the 3-pointer following the inbound. ''I thought (the defender's) hand got in there and I thought there was going to be some contact.''
The teams combined for 52 fouls. That meant plenty of trips to the foul line, where Missouri - which set a NCAA record for most consecutive foul shots made last season - vastly outperformed Illinois, shooting 84% to the Illini's 61%.
The game was played in Columbia as challenges related to COVID-19 prevented the game from being held in its normal location of the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Mizzou Arena was chosen as the game site via a coin flip between it and Champaign's State Farm Center in a streamed event last month.
ONE-MAN SHOW
Dosunmu's scoring barrage shattered his previous career high, a 28-point outing he had against North Carolina A&T in the Illini's opener Nov. 25. However, with the exception of Curbelo, the preseason All-American didn't get much help in the backcourt. Trent Frazier finished with four points, Da'Monte Williams with three points and Adam Miller with two points on a combined 3-of-12 shooting.
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Mark Smith, who played his freshman year at Illinois before transferring to Missouri, was fairly quiet as he finished with five points before fouling out with 5:21 remaining. Jeremiah Tilmon, who initially committed to the Illini out of high school, also struggled in limited minutes due to foul trouble as he ended with three points and two rebounds as he also fouled out with 1:54 to play.
BIG PICTURE
Missouri: The Tigers won a game against their highest-ranked foe since beating then-No. 5 Florida on Feb. 19, 2013. Picked to finish 10th in the SEC, the Tigers continued their surprising 5-0 start by snatching their second ranked win of the season, the first against then-No. 21 Oregon on Dec. 2 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Illinois: Brad Underwood is now 1-3 against Missouri as the Fighting Illini's head coach, with Saturday marking a deflating end to a nonconference slate that featured a dominant 83-68 win at No. 10 Duke earlier in the week. The Illini shot 23% from 3-point range, a stark contrast to the 63.6% clip from deep they maintained against the Blue Devils.
UP NEXT
Illinois: Starts Big Ten Conference play as it hosts Minnesota on Tuesday.
Missouri: Plays at home against Prairie View A&M on Friday.
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1st Half
ILL
Fighting Illini
41
MIZZ
Tigers
49
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Kofi Cockburn vs. Jeremiah Tilmon (Tigers gains possession)
19:39
Jeremiah Tilmon turnover (lost ball) (Adam Miller steals)
19:35
+2
Ayo Dosunmu makes two point layup (Adam Miller assists)
2-0
19:05
+3
Xavier Pinson makes three point jump shot (Dru Smith assists)
2-3
18:52
Ayo Dosunmu turnover (lost ball) (Dru Smith steals)
18:42
+2
Dru Smith makes two point layup
2-5
18:29
Kofi Cockburn turnover (traveling)
18:09
Dru Smith turnover (lost ball) (Adam Miller steals)
18:01
+2
Adam Miller makes two point layup
4-5
17:44
+2
Xavier Pinson makes two point layup
4-7
17:23
Adam Miller turnover (bad pass) (Jeremiah Tilmon steals)
17:12
+2
Kobe Brown makes two point layup (Xavier Pinson assists)
4-9
17:00
+2
Kofi Cockburn makes two point layup (Ayo Dosunmu assists)
6-9
16:44
Dru Smith misses three point jump shot
16:42
Fighting Illini defensive rebound
16:14
Trent Frazier misses three point jump shot
16:12
Fighting Illini offensive rebound
16:05
+2
Ayo Dosunmu makes two point jump shot
8-9
15:47
Kofi Cockburn blocks Mark Smith's two point layup
15:45
Ayo Dosunmu defensive rebound
15:40
TV timeout
15:21
Jeremiah Tilmon shooting foul (Andre Curbelo draws the foul)
15:21
+1
Andre Curbelo makes regular free throw 1 of 2
9-9
15:21
Andre Curbelo misses regular free throw 2 of 2
15:21
Javon Pickett defensive rebound
15:02
Mark Smith turnover (double dribble)
14:56
Giorgi Bezhanishvili offensive foul
14:56
Giorgi Bezhanishvili turnover
14:39
+2
Kobe Brown makes two point layup
9-11
14:17
Giorgi Bezhanishvili offensive foul
14:17
Giorgi Bezhanishvili turnover
13:58
Kobe Brown misses three point jump shot
13:56
Kofi Cockburn defensive rebound
13:44
+2
Kofi Cockburn makes two point layup (Coleman Hawkins assists)
11-11
13:28
Ayo Dosunmu personal foul
13:17
+3
Kobe Brown makes three point jump shot (Xavier Pinson assists)
11-14
13:00
Xavier Pinson personal foul
12:53
+2
Andre Curbelo makes two point layup
13-14
12:25
Xavier Pinson misses three point jump shot
12:23
Andre Curbelo defensive rebound
12:18
Jeremiah Tilmon shooting foul (Andre Curbelo draws the foul)
12:18
+1
Andre Curbelo makes regular free throw 1 of 2
14-14
12:18
Andre Curbelo misses regular free throw 2 of 2
12:18
Kobe Brown defensive rebound
12:06
Dru Smith misses two point layup
12:04
Dru Smith offensive rebound
12:00
+2
Dru Smith makes two point layup
14-16
11:47
Kofi Cockburn turnover (traveling)
11:47
TV timeout
11:30
Jordan Wilmore offensive foul
11:30
Jordan Wilmore turnover
11:05
Kofi Cockburn misses two point jump shot
11:03
Mitchell Smith defensive rebound
10:53
Trent Frazier shooting foul (Xavier Pinson draws the foul)
10:53
+1
Xavier Pinson makes regular free throw 1 of 2
14-17
10:53
+1
Xavier Pinson makes regular free throw 2 of 2
14-18
10:36
+2
Ayo Dosunmu makes two point jump shot
16-18
10:21
Mark Smith misses three point jump shot
10:19
Trent Frazier defensive rebound
10:14
Mitchell Smith personal foul
10:12
Trent Frazier misses two point jump shot
10:10
Mitchell Smith defensive rebound
9:58
Kofi Cockburn shooting foul (Mitchell Smith draws the foul)
9:58
+1
Mitchell Smith makes regular free throw 1 of 2
16-19
9:58
+1
Mitchell Smith makes regular free throw 2 of 2
16-20
9:41
+2
Ayo Dosunmu makes two point jump shot
18-20
9:34
Adam Miller personal foul
9:32
Kobe Brown turnover (bad pass) (Trent Frazier steals)
9:22
+2
Andre Curbelo makes two point layup (Trent Frazier assists)
20-20
9:11
Mark Smith misses two point jump shot
9:09
Fighting Illini defensive rebound
9:02
Dru Smith shooting foul (Ayo Dosunmu draws the foul)
9:02
+1
Ayo Dosunmu makes regular free throw 1 of 2
21-20
9:02
+1
Ayo Dosunmu makes regular free throw 2 of 2
22-20
8:49
Andre Curbelo personal foul (Javon Pickett draws the foul)
8:49
+1
Javon Pickett makes regular free throw 1 of 2
22-21
8:49
+1
Javon Pickett makes regular free throw 2 of 2
22-22
8:39
Mitchell Smith blocks Andre Curbelo's two point layup
8:37
Fighting Illini offensive rebound
8:24
Andre Curbelo turnover (bad pass) (Mitchell Smith steals)
8:16
+3
Mark Smith makes three point jump shot
22-25
7:42
Andre Curbelo misses three point jump shot
7:40
Dru Smith defensive rebound
7:36
Mark Smith offensive foul
7:36
Mark Smith turnover
7:36
TV timeout
7:21
+3
Ayo Dosunmu makes three point jump shot (Da'Monte Williams assists)
25-25
7:00
Da'Monte Williams personal foul (Dru Smith draws the foul)
7:00
+1
Dru Smith makes regular free throw 1 of 2
25-26
7:00
+1
Dru Smith makes regular free throw 2 of 2
25-27
6:43
Mitchell Smith personal foul (Kofi Cockburn draws the foul)
6:43
+1
Kofi Cockburn makes regular free throw 1 of 2
26-27
6:43
Kofi Cockburn misses regular free throw 2 of 2
6:43
Kobe Brown defensive rebound
6:34
Kobe Brown misses three point jump shot
6:32
Adam Miller defensive rebound
6:10
+2
Kofi Cockburn makes two point layup
28-27
6:00
Xavier Pinson misses two point layup
5:58
Javon Pickett offensive rebound
5:54
+2
Javon Pickett makes two point layup
28-29
5:48
Kobe Brown personal foul (Kofi Cockburn draws the foul)
5:48
Kofi Cockburn misses regular free throw 1 of 1
5:48
Javon Pickett defensive rebound
5:31
Kobe Brown turnover (lost ball) (Andre Curbelo steals)
5:25
Adam Miller misses three point jump shot
5:23
Mark Smith defensive rebound
5:18
Adam Miller shooting foul (Dru Smith draws the foul)
5:18
+1
Dru Smith makes regular free throw 1 of 2
28-30
5:18
+1
Dru Smith makes regular free throw 2 of 2
28-31
5:10
+2
Andre Curbelo makes two point layup
30-31
5:02
+2
Xavier Pinson makes two point layup
30-33
4:43
Mark Smith personal foul (Trent Frazier draws the foul)
4:43
Trent Frazier misses regular free throw 1 of 2
4:43
+1
Trent Frazier makes regular free throw 2 of 2
31-33
4:43
+1
Trent Frazier makes regular free throw 2 of 2
31-33
4:35
Ayo Dosunmu blocks Javon Pickett's two point layup
4:33
Tigers offensive rebound
4:26
+2
Kobe Brown makes two point jump shot
31-35
4:07
Da'Monte Williams misses three point jump shot
4:05
Fighting Illini offensive rebound
4:00
+2
Andre Curbelo makes two point layup (Da'Monte Williams assists)
33-35
3:47
+2
Javon Pickett makes two point jump shot (Xavier Pinson assists)
33-37
3:27
Kofi Cockburn misses two point jump shot
3:25
Kobe Brown defensive rebound
3:22
Kobe Brown offensive foul
3:22
Kobe Brown turnover
3:22
TV timeout
3:11
Parker Braun shooting foul (Kofi Cockburn draws the foul)
3:11
Kofi Cockburn misses regular free throw 1 of 2
3:11
+1
Kofi Cockburn makes regular free throw 2 of 2
34-37
3:11
+1
Kofi Cockburn makes regular free throw 2 of 2
34-37
3:02
Trent Frazier personal foul (Dru Smith draws the foul)
3:02
+1
Dru Smith makes regular free throw 1 of 2
34-38
3:02
+1
Dru Smith makes regular free throw 2 of 2
34-39
2:55
+2
Andre Curbelo makes two point layup
36-39
2:41
Dru Smith misses two point jump shot
2:39
Parker Braun offensive rebound
2:34
Mitchell Smith misses three point jump shot
2:32
Kofi Cockburn defensive rebound
2:22
Jacob Grandison misses three point jump shot
2:20
Xavier Pinson defensive rebound
2:16
+2
Javon Pickett makes two point dunk (Xavier Pinson assists)
36-41
2:01
Ayo Dosunmu misses three point jump shot
1:59
Mitchell Smith defensive rebound
1:54
Ayo Dosunmu shooting foul (Parker Braun draws the foul)
1:54
+1
Parker Braun makes regular free throw 1 of 2
36-42
1:54
+1
Parker Braun makes regular free throw 2 of 2
36-43
1:47
+3
Da'Monte Williams makes three point jump shot (Andre Curbelo assists)
