Jan. 19, 2006
Columbia, Mo. -
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Missouri (10-5, 3-1 Big 12) looks to build on Monday's exciting overtime victory against Kansas when it travels to Manhattan, Kan., to face the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday ... The Tigers equaled their best start to a Big 12 Conference campaign (3-1) on Monday with the 89-86 overtime win, which saw Mizzou battle back from an 74-67 deficit with just :31 seconds remaining to get the win ... The Tigers scored on their final four possessions to force the extra fame and got 5-of-10 foul shooting from KU in the final minute to set-up the miraculous finish ... Now the Tigers turn their attention towards a K-State team that has won two consecutive games overall and two straight vs. the Tigers dating back to last season ... This is the third time Missouri has started Big 12 play 3-1 ... Mizzou also opened the 1998-99 and 2000-01 seasons 3-1, but slipped on the ensuing opportunity to improve to 4-1 ... The last time Missouri started Conference play with a 4-1 record or better was during the undefeated Big Eight season of 1993-94 ... Mizzou's only other 4-1 start over the last 15 years came in 1990-91 ... Missouri is 4-2 in Manhattan under Snyder and will look to avoid its first three-game skid to the Wildcats since the 1974-75 season ... Don't be surprised if Saturday's game comes down to the wire ... Missouri's four Big 12 games have been decided by a combined 11 points (2.8 margin per game), while K-State has had three of four Big 12 games decided by four points or less ... If the game does get decided down the stretch, don't be surprised if the ball is in the hands of either junior Thomas Gardner or senior Jimmy McKinney ... Gardner poured in a career high 40 points against the Jayhawks on Monday, but needed just 22 shots to accomplish the feat ... In addition to his 7-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc, Gardner hit 7-of-8 free throws and was 6-of-8 from inside the arc ... The 40 points by Gardner were the second most total by a Tiger against Kansas and the most since Anthony Peeler poured in 43 in a loss to the Jayhawks ... It was also the fifth highest scoring total in Big 12 history, the 10th highest scoring total in NCAA Division I basketball this season and a Mizzou Arena scoring record ... McKinney needs just 18 points to become the 35th Tiger to reach 1,000 for his career ... Plus he is shooting 70.0 percent in the final three minutes of Mizzou's four Big 12 games.
3-1 Conference Starts Are A Good Omen
Mizzou heads into a huge Big 12 Conference tilt tonight against Kansas State, looking for its first 4-1 start to Big 12 play ... Mizzou has started Big 12 play 3-1 on two other occasions, but fell in the ensuing opportunity to improve to 4-1 ... Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1975, the Tigers have started league play 3-1 16 times and have qualified for the "Big Dance" on 14 occasions ... Mizzou's most recent 3-1 start in Big 12 play came during the 2000-01 season when the Tigers defeated Georgia and fell to No. 1 Duke in NCAA Tournament play ... Below is a list of Missouri's 3-1 conference starts since 1975, the team's final record and its postseason outcome:
Year Final Record Postseason
2001-02 24-12 NCAA
2000-01 20-13 NCAA
1999-00 18-13 NCAA
1998-99 20-9 NCAA
1993-94 28-4 NCAA
1992-93 19-14 NCAA
1990-91 20-10 No Postseason
1989-90 26-6 NCAA
1988-89 29-8 NCAA
1986-87 24-10 NCAA
1985-86 21-14 NCAA
1982-83 26-8 NCAA
1981-82 27-4 NCAA
1979-80 25-6 NCAA
1976-77 21-8 No Postseason
1975-76 26-5 NCAA
Getting To Know Today's Foe
Kansas State (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) enters today's game on a two-game winning streak following back-to-back wins at Kansas and at home against Texas A&M on Wednesday ... The Wildcats are riding high after ending a 31-game skid to the Jayhawks and began to build some momentum following the hard-fought 58-54 triumph over the Aggies ... Cartier Martin leads K-State in scoring (19.2) and rebounding (7.4) and is the Big 12's top free throw shooter at 84.5 percent ... Sophomore transfer David Hoskins (Central Michigan) has been a solid compliment to Martin, averaging 13.0 points from his power forward position ... K-State has played outstanding defense during their four Big 12 games and are holding opponents to 59.5 points on 35.2 percent shooting from the floor ... Cartier Martin has continued to lead the Cats in scoring at 18.0 points in Big 12 action, but no other Wildcat is averaging double digits.
Mizzou Series With The Kansas State
Saturday's meeting marks the 222nd all-time between Kansas State and Mizzou with the Tigers holding a 112-109 series lead ... Kansas State has won two consecutive in the series following a two-game sweep in 2004-05, but Missouri is an impressive 8-4 with the Wildcats during Head Coach Quin Snyder's tenure ... Snyder is 4-2 all-time in Manhattan, while the Tigers are 44-54 in the Little Apple and 8-9 in Bramlage Coliseum, which opened during the 1988-89 season ... While Kansas State has won two straight vs. Mizzou the Wildcats haven't won three consecutive in the series since the early 70s ... K-State won four consecutive from Jan. 19, 1974 to Feb. 5, 1975 ... The Tigers on the other hand had won seven consecutive prior to last season, regaining the overall lead in the series.