ST. LOUIS, Mo. - A 20-point second-half deficit was cut to three points, but Mizzou Men's Basketball (5-6) could not quite get over the hump as it dropped a 68-63 result to Illinois (8-5) Wednesday night at the Scottrade Center. Junior guard Wes Clark (Detroit, Mich.), playing in his third Braggin' Rights game, scored a career-high 21 points , including seven points in a 15-0 run in the second half to get the Tigers back within striking distance of the Illini.
Clark connected on 4-of-6 field goals from beyond the arc and scored in double-digits for the 16th time in his career. He also contributed four assists and three rebounds. Junior forward Russell Woods (Chicago, Ill.) provided a spark off the bench for Mizzou, leading the team in rebounding with 10, a career-high, while chipping in seven points. Freshman forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting to score in double-digits for the eighth time this season.
In the first half after falling behind 6-0, Mizzou scored 11-straight points to take the lead, 11-6, with baskets coming from five different Tigers. Puryear got the scoring started with a jump shot from the middle of the lane, Clark connected on his first three of the game in the run, and Woods hit a jumper to make the score, 11-6. Clark had eight points in the half as the Tigers trailed 41-27 at the break.
Mizzou got back into the game in the second half with a 15-0 run over seven minutes where Illinois missed 12-straight shots from the field. Clark had seven points in the run, hitting two jumpers followed by a a three-pointer. Two free throws from freshman guard K.J. Walton (Brownsburg, Ind.) pulled the Tigers within five points at 50-45 with 9:04 remaining. After both teams traded baskets for a stretch, a three-pointer from freshman guard Terrence Phillips (Orange County, Calif.) put the score at 60-57 with a minute remaining, but Illinois converted 8-of-10 free throws in the final minute to secure the victory.
Mizzou will return to Mizzou Arena for its next game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday, Dec. 29. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network+.
