University of Missouri
Wisconsin
Missouri Falls To Wisconsin, 66-55
11/12/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 12, 1999
By JOHN KEKIS
AP Sports Writer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Mark Vershaw scored 19 points and Jon Bryant added 15, leading Wisconsin to a 66-55 victory Friday night over Missouri in the first round of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Classic.
Wisconsin will play the winner of the second game between No. 17 Syracuse and Princeton for the championship Saturday night. Missouri will play the loser in the consolation game.
Trailing 27-24 to start the second half, Missouri tied the game in the opening minute on a 3-pointer by Brian Grawer. A tip-in by Andy Kowske and a turnaround baseline jumper by Vershaw started a 9-0 run and the Badgers led thereafter.
Wisconsin, which was ranked second in the nation last year after allowing 55.2 points per game, held the Tigers to 34.7 percent shooting and won it with a sizzling second half, hitting 15-of-24 shots.
Keyon Dooling led Missouri with 16 points and Johnnie Parker had 11.
A follow by Vershaw gave Wisconsin its biggest lead, 43-32, with 13:43 remaining. The Tigers pecked away at the margin, with a 3-pointer by Dooling, a pull-up jumper in the lane by Parker and a basket by Tajudeen Soyoye narrowing Wisconsin's lead to 44-42 midway through the period.
Vershaw, who also had seven assists, hit two baskets and set up a 3-pointer by Roy Boone to help boost the lead back to 60-49 with 3:10 left.
Missouri jumped ahead at the start and led by as many as eight points in the first half. A 3-point play by Clarence Gilbert and a 3-pointer by Kareem Rush gave the Tigers a 14-6 lead with 12:01 left.
Wisconsin, which won a school-record 22 games last season mainly on the strength of its defense, then clamped down and held Missouri scoreless for just over seven minutes.
Vershaw scored seven points to key an 11-0 run. His leaner in the lane with 5:21 left gave Wisconsin its first lead of the game at 16-14.
A 3-pointer from the left corner by Duany Duany gave the Badgers a 27-20 lead in the final minute, but Dooling converted a four-point play with 5.4 seconds left to pull Missouri within 27-24 at halftime.
