ST. LOUIS — Dennis Gates left his first Braggin Rights’ Game with some hardware — thanks to Missouri’s Braggin’ Rights veteran.
Two weeks after the Tigers no-showed in their rivalry game against Kansas, they tried their best to blow the roof off Enterprise Center on Thursday, blasting No. 16 Illinois, 93-71, behind Kobe Brown’s career-high 31 points.
Mizzou (11-1) used a 15-0 run in the first half to seize control and set the stage for its most lopsided win in this historic series. Before Thursday’s tipoff, this series had seen just three wins by 20 points or more since it moved to St. Louis in 1980 — all Illinois victories.
No longer. One team came out the aggressor Thursday — the team that hoisted the enormous series trophy at night’s end. D’Moi Hodge added 18 points for the Tigers, while De’Andre Gholston added 15 off the bench.
The star of the night was Brown, who topped his 30-point outing from last year’s win over Alabama in his third victory over the Illini in four meetings. Brown shot 10 of 15 from the floor, sank 3 of 4 from 3-point range, made 8 of 8 from the foul line while handing out eight assists.
The Illini (8-4) never got on track from deep, shooting just 7 of 31 from deep. Terrence Shannon Jr. led Illinois with 22 points.
Mizzou’s zone defense rattled the Illini early, leading to five missed 3s to open the game. That was just the start. The Tigers soon sank their teeth into Illinois’ ball-handlers and didn’t let go, routinely creating offense with defense during the 15-0 blitz.
While the Tigers built their lead the Illini missed nine straight shots and went almost nine minutes between field goals. But it wasn’t just an off shooting night for Brad Underwood’s team. The Tigers beat the Illini to every loose ball, clawed the ball out of their hands and suffocated every inbounds plays. While the Illini players squabbled with each other and the officials, the Tigers feasted on every opportunity to maintain control. By the end of the half, Mizzou had scored 19 points off Illinois turnovers, held Illinois to 1-of-15 shooting from the 3-point arc and all but silenced the orange half of the arena.
Ahead 51-27 at halftime, the Tigers didn’t let up to open the second half. Brown drilled two straight 3s, drawing a foul on the second for a four-point play and a 30-point lead. The Tigers roared into the first media timeout as burly point guard Nick Honor wrestled the ball loose from a swarm of Illini, setting off a melee on the Mizzou bench that never let up the rest of the night.
