COLUMBIA, Mo. — Cuonzo Martin raised his right fist high in the air as the seconds ticked away then could only shake his head in disbelief as he walked into the locker room.
Saturday was that kind of day for his No. 12 Missouri basketball team at Mizzou Arena.
He had just watched his Tigers storm back from a 10-point deficit in the final minutes of regulation against Texas Christian University behind a flurry of 3-pointers then outlast the Horned Frogs in overtime to claim a 102-98 victory in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Pinson paced the Tigers (11-3) with 36 points, including three huge 3s late in regulation and another in overtime, while Jeremiah Tilmon powered Mizzou inside with 33 points. Both figures were career-high totals.
TCU (9-7) took an 82-70 lead with 4:40 in the second half left as Mizzou struggled to stop dribble penetration of any sort on the defensive end, but MU’s 3-point binge started with a Pinson shot-clock beater with 2:40 left, plus a free throw for a four-point play. Mark Smith drilled another 3 to keep Mizzou within three points, then another Pinson shot from deep with 24 seconds left trimmed TCU’s lead to 87-86. Mike Miles, having himself a brilliant day for the Horned Frogs, answered with a couple free throws for a three-point lead, but the Tigers kept their final possession of regulation alive with two offensive rebounds, a Tilmon missed put-back then a Kobe Brown rebound and pass to Pinson on the wing. He drained the game-tying 3 with 3.9 seconds left. TCU’s last-second heave missed, sending the game into overtime.
Tilmon opened the extra session with a free throw, MU’s first lead since the final five minutes of the first half.
A Dru Smith drive and layup high off the glass put Mizzou in front for good, 99-98, followed by a defensive stop by Smith against R.J. Nembhard near the basket. Brown all but sealed the game with a steal in the frontcourt. Brown missed a pair of free throws on the next series, but he grabbed the offensive rebound — his 13th board — and set up Dru Smith for another trip to the line to clinch the victory.
