University of Missouri
Coppin State
Missouri Outlasts Coppin State 70-61
12/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec 2, 2003
By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Missouri survived its second straight scare, getting 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks from Travon Bryant in a 70-61 come-from-behind victory Tuesday night over Coppin State.
The fourth-ranked Tigers (2-0) have won 29 straight home openers since losing to Southern Methodist on Dec. 1, 1973. They were 14-1 in the Hearnes Center last season and won this one despite allowing a 14-0 run in the first half.
Arthur Johnson added 14 points and nine rebounds for Missouri, which was frustrated throughout by a zone defense, committed 19 turnovers and got an off-game from preseason All-American Rickey Paulding. He had seven points and seven turnovers.
The Tigers trailed Coppin State (2-5) by eight points in the first half and seven after the break. Missouri won its opener by five points at Oakland (Mich.) on Saturday.
Nicholas King scored 25 points and hit five 3-pointers for Coppin State after entering with an 8.5-point average. The losers, who also got 12 points from Jimmy Boykin, were 11-for-22 from 3-point range.
A pair of free throws by Bryant put Missouri ahead to stay at 50-49 with 10:53 remaining. But the game wasn't secured until the Tigers scored nine points in a row for a 67-57 lead with 3:40 to go. The last five points came from freshman Thomas Gardner.
King hit two straight 3-pointers at the end of Coppin State's 14-0 run in the first half, which produced a 32-24 lead. Missouri was scoreless for 3? minutes before Paulding connected in the lane with 1:14 to go, and Linus Kleiza scored on a putback at the buzzer to cut the gap to four points.
Paulding had six of Missouri's 14 turnovers in the half.
