KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Mizzou Men's Basketball (2-2) squared off against Kansas State (4-0) for the 236th time on Monday evening in its opening game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic Championship Rounds at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. In the first meeting since Feb. 21, 2012, Kansas State pulled ahead in the tighly contested all-time series between the two schools, 119-117, with a 66-42 win.
Freshman forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) led the Tigers in scoring for the second time this season, scoring nine points while grabbing three rebounds in 31 minutes of action. Junior guard Wes Clark (Detroit, Mich.) had six assists on the night, the 11th time in his career he dished out five or more assists.
Both teams struggled shooting the ball from the field in the first half. The Wildcats shot 29 percent (9-of-31) in the half, while the Tigers only converted 5-of-27 field goal attempts. Mizzou trailed 8-6 with 14:21 left in the half, but Kansas State utilized a 23-6 run to close the half and pull away from the Tigers. Kansas State took advantage of the free chances given to them in the first half as they converted 12-of-16 free throws from the charity stripe. Mizzou committed 15 first-half fouls compared to only six by the Wildcats.
Mizzou showed sparks on offense on two different occasions in the second half, but the lead was too much for the Tigers to get back into the game. Clark and Puryear connected on two consecutive plays near the 17:00 mark of the half, both times Clark found a cutting Puryear who finished at the rim, the second time with a two-handed dunk. Around the 7:00 mark, freshman guard Cullen VanLeer (Pacific, Mo.) sunk three-pointers on consecutive trips down the floor, but Mizzou still trailed by 23 after the three.
Mizzou will play again Tuesday, Nov. 24, in the consolation round of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. The Tigers will face the loser of North Carolina and Northwestern. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. from the Sprint Center.
For all the latest on Mizzou Men's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@MizzouHoops).
