University of Missouri
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North Florida
Mizzou Tops North Florida, 96-58
11/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2010
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -Ricardo Ratliffe had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 15 Missouri set an arena record by forcing 34 turnovers and finished with a 24-0 run in a 96-58 victory over North Florida on Saturday.
Marcus Denmon scored 18 points with two 3-pointers and Laurence Bowers had 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks for the Tigers (2-0), who were much stronger only two days after Western Illinois took them to the wire in their opener. They were 16 for 23 on free throws, a distinct improvement after barely topping 50 percent in the first game.
Ratliffe had six points and Denmon five in an 11-0 run that put Missouri up by 15 with just under 13 minutes to go in its 49th consecutive non-conference home victory, all but eight under coach Mike Anderson.
Bowers, a 6-8 junior, also had four blocks in the opener and moved into the school's career top 10 with 69. He earned his fourth career double-double.
Parker Smith had 17 points and Matt Sauey Williams 14 for North Florida (1-3), which was held scoreless for the final 7:50. North Florida, playing its first six games on the road, had only eight turnovers on Thursday in a victory at Wyoming, but appeared easily rattled by Missouri's full-court pressure.
The previous turnover best at the 7-year-old Mizzou Arena was 29 against Chattanooga on Nov. 4, 2009.
Denmon's 3-pointer with about 14 minutes left gave him 11 points, making him the first Missouri player in two games to reach double figures. The 66-61 victory over Western Illinois on Thursday was Missouri's first without a double-figure scorer since 1951.
Missouri led 16-2 after five minutes but seemed to coast a bit, and committed 11 turnovers in the first half for a 41-33 lead.
Andy Diaz, who averaged 16 points the first three games for North Florida, had only two points and was scoreless for nearly 30 minutes to start the game.
