FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Freshman forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) became the eighth freshman in Mizzou Men's Basketball history to eclipse the 300-point mark and sophomore guard Namon Wright (Los Angeles, Calif.) earned his first career double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds) as Mizzou (10-17, 3-11) dropped an 84-72 result at Arkansas (13-14, 6-8) Saturday at Bud Walton Arena.
Puryear led the Tigers in scoring with a season-high 23, giving him 313 total points this season. It was his third game with 20+ points in his debut Tiger campaign. He was active down low, setting a new career-high in free throws made and attempted, going 10-11 from the charity stripe.
Wright led the team in rebounds with 12. He also splashed home three long-range shots late in the game to help obtain the first double-double of his career.
Freshman guard Terrence Phillips (Orange County, Calif.) led the Tigers in assists with seven - his highest total in SEC play. The mark tied the career-high he set against Arkansas State (Dec. 1, 2015).
Senior forward Ryan Rosburg (Chesterfield, Mo.) scored 11 points in limited minutes due to foul trouble. It was the fifth-straight game of 10+ points for Rosburg, who is now averaging 18.2 points in his last five games. Foul trouble did not keep the big senior from doing work on the defensive end. Rosburg finished the night with two blocks for the third time this season, and the second time in the past three games.
The Tigers showed offensive flow in the first half, going on a 7-0 run at one point. Sophomore forward Jakeenan Gant (Springfield, Ga.) provided the spark that led to the run by swatting a layup attempt by Arkansas. The subsequent scoring spree cut Arkansas' lead to four points, 22-18, with 8:42 seconds left in the first half.
Mizzou outscored Arkansas in the second half, 42-41, in large part due to the return of Rosburg, who only played four first-half minutes. The team also passed the ball very well in the second period, recording 10 assists on 13 field goals made while only committing four turnovers.
Head coach Kim Anderson's group continues on the road at Ole Miss on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and can be seen live on the SEC Network.
