University of Missouri
Arkansas
Missouri Falls to Arkansas, 62-52
12/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2004
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By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Ronnie Brewer had 20 points and five assists and Arkansas held Missouri to 30 percent shooting in a 62-52 victory on Tuesday night.
Olu Famutimi added eight points and eight rebounds to help Arkansas (6-1) bounce back from its lone loss of the season to then-No. 3 Illinois three days earlier. The Razorbacks won despite being held to a season low point total after entering the game with a 77-point average.
Linas Kleiza had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Missouri (4-4), but was only 6-for-16 from the field. The Tigers missed their first 10 shots, then began the second half 0-for-7 en route to their worst shooting of the season, including going only 3-for-19 from 3-point range.
Reserve Marshall Brown added 10 points for Missouri, which also lost for the second time in only six games at the new Mizzou Arena. Thomas Gardner was 2-for-10, Jimmy McKinney 1-for-8, Jason Horton 0-for-7 and Jason Conley 2-for-6.
Arkansas shot 48 percent overall to beat Missouri for the seventh straight time, although this was the first meeting between the bordering states since 1997.
Arkansas also struggled early, missing eight straight shots after starting the game 3-for-4. The Razorbacks got away with 38 percent shooting in the first half, leading 27-25, and never trailed in the second half.
The key point in the second half came when Gardner got a steal but then lost control of the ball and missed a layup that could have cut the gap to one with just under four minutes to go. Arkansas responded with a 3-pointer by Eric Ferguson for a six-point lead.
Missouri's previous worst shooting was 32 percent against Houston in the Guardians Classic Nov. 24 in Kansas City.
Missouri was without 6-11 junior Jeffrey Ferguson, who strained a right knee ligament on Sunday. An MRI exam on Monday revealed the damage. Ferguson is averaging 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds after being suspended for the first three games of the season for playing in an unsanctioned summer league.
