University of Missouri
Oakland
Tigers Defend Their New Home
12/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2004
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Jason Conley scored 18 points in 19 minutes to lead Missouri to a 70-61 win against Oakland University on Saturday.
After the teams traded the lead in the opening minutes of the second half, the Tigers' second 12-0 run of the game gave them an advantage that put them up for good. Thomas Gardner scored the first six points of the run, followed by two 3-pointers from Conley. The rally gave the Tigers (4-3) a 50-38 lead with 13 minutes remaining.
Oakland (0-5) could not cut the deficit to fewer than four points the rest of the way.
Conley, who fought foul trouble throughout the game, scored five points in seven minutes in the first half before his production increased in the second. He finished 6-for-9 from the field, including 4-for-6 from 3. Gardner also had 18 points, all but three of which came in the second half.
Both teams struggled early, combining to shoot 7-for-28 from the field, including 1-for-9 from 3, in the first 8:25. The Tigers then surged, making five straight shots during a 12-0 run that pushed their lead to 23-10. Jason Horton, shooting just 20 percent from the outside entering the game, hit two 3-pointers in the rally.
Missouri scored just one basket in the final six minutes of the first half, allowing Oakland to score 16 of the half's final 21 points. Oakland took a brief 29-27 lead before a three-point play from Gardner in the final minute gave the Tigers a 30-29 halftime edge.
Linas Kleiza added 13 points for the Tigers while Cortney Scott scored 15 to lead the Grizzlies. Rawle Marshall, who entered the game leading the Mid-Continent Conference in scoring with a 21-point average, had just five in the first half. He finished with 14. Kris Krzyminski added 14 for the Grizzlies.
