University of Missouri
Iowa State
Tigers Sink Cyclones In Big 12 Opener
1/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 8, 2005
By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Jimmy McKinney scored four points in the final 27 seconds, helping Missouri overcome a 12-minute span without a basket in a wild 62-59 victory over Iowa State in a Big 12 opener on Saturday.
Jason Conley had 13 points, Linas Kleiza had 12 points and nine rebounds and Jason Horton had 12 points for Missouri (9-5, 1-0 Big 12). The Tigers endured a 28-4 Iowa State run that transformed a 12-point lead into a 12-point deficit with 4:34 to go, then ended the game on a 17-2 run.
McKinney, who had 10 points, scored on a spinning shot in the lane with 27 seconds left to put Missouri ahead for good at 60-59 although he missed a chance at a three-point play. He added two free throws with 13 seconds left.
Iowa State (8-4, 0-1) had two chances in the final seconds. Curtis Stinson turned it over near the Cyclones' bench with 16.8 seconds to go and reserve John Neal missed a 3-pointer with one second left.
Stinson had 22 points for Iowa State, which has lost 26 straight Big 12 road games dating to February 2001. Will Blalock added 12 points, five assists and four steals.
Iowa State is 0-4 on the road this season.
Missouri won its eighth straight conference home opener and its fifth in six games overall despite committing 20 turnovers, one off their season worst, against Iowa State's sticky zone defense. At times during the drought, the Tigers struggled just to get a shot off.
Missouri led by as many as 13 points early in the second half before going cold. The Tigers led 41-29 after Horton hit in the lane with 16:36 to go, and he made the next one a 3-pointer with 4:04 left that started Missouri's final run.
Stinson had nine points during the lengthy run and Staple had six, one coming on the third shot of a possession.
Missouri shot 54 percent in the first half and took advantage of an Iowa State drought to take a 33-24 lead. Iowa State scored only six points in the final nine minutes before the break and Kleiza scored six himself in that span for Missouri.
Before the game, Iowa State suspended backup forward Reggie George indefinitely for violating team policy. George is one of the team's top inside reserves.
