March 8, 2001
By STEVE BRISENDINE
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Clarence Gilbert hit eight 3-pointers, tying a school record for the most in a game, and scored 30 points Thursday night as Missouri beat Texas A&M 77-62 in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament.
Gilbert's eight 3-pointers were the second-most ever in a Big 12 tournament game. Colorado's Kenny Price hit nine against Texas in the 1999 tournament. John Woods set the Missouri school record against Alabama-Birmingham in the 1998 National Invitation Tournament.
Gilbert was 8-for-11 overall from 3-point range. Kareem Rush was 4-for-6 on 3-point tries and added 16 points for the sixth-seeded Tigers (19-11), who had more 3-pointers (14-for-19) than 2-pointers (11-for-29) as a team.
Their 74-percent shooting from long range shattered their own previous tournament record of 62 percent (5-for-8), set in 1997, and the 14 3-pointers tied Colorado's record against Texas in 1999.
Center Arthur Johnson finished with 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds for Missouri, which meets third-seeded Oklahoma in the quarterfinals on Friday night.
The 11th-seeded Aggies (10-20) led 2-0 on Bernard King's basket 31 seconds into the game, but Gilbert hit two 3-pointers as Missouri went on a 16-0 run over the next six minutes.
A 9-0 run by A&M cut the Tigers' lead to 21-15 with eight minutes left in the half, but Rush hit two 3-pointers in an 8-0 run for Missouri and the Aggies never got within single digits again.
The Tigers led by as many as 23 points on several occasions in the second half.
Jamal Gilchrist hit all three of his 3-point tries and led Texas A&M with 19 points, 12 of those inside the final eight minutes. Nick Anderson added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Keith Bean finished with 13 points.