University of Missouri
Eastern Illinois
Missouri Downs Eastern Illinois, 68-56
12/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2005
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - One week after being routed by No. 6 Illinois, Missouri bounced back Wednesday to beat Eastern Illinois 68-56.
The Tigers (5-4) were led by Thomas Gardner, who scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half. Marshall Brown had 19 points and 11 rebounds, his first career double-double, and Jimmy McKinney added 11 points for Missouri.
The win is Missouri's fifth straight at home and its first victory since last week's 32-point loss to Illinois in the neutral court "Braggin' Rights" game.
Missouri led by as much as 13 points in the second half before the Panthers went on a 8-0 run, trimming the lead to 48-43 with 7:47 left in the game. But that's as close as Eastern Illinois would get as Missouri responded with a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach.
Mike Robinson led the Panthers (1-8) with 13 points, and Josh Gromes and George Tandy each had 11.
Missouri started slow and trailed by as many as 5 early in the first half, but after a pair of 8-0 runs the Tigers built a 29-22 halftime advantage. Gardner, who leads the Big 12 with a 20-point average, went 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
The Tigers are a perfect 26-0 against teams from the Ohio Valley Conference.
