COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Men's Basketball (10-3, 0-0 SEC) chipped away at a 20-point halftime deficit, but was unable to overcome a slow start, falling 70-64 to Illinois (9-5, 0-0 Big Ten) on Saturday night in the 37th Annual Bud Light Braggin' Rights Game. The Tigers were paced by their senior leadership once again, as guard Kassius Robertson (Toronto, Ontario) and forward Jordan Barnett (St. Louis, Mo.) scored 22 and 19 points, respectively.
Turning Point
Mizzou's defense in the second half helped the Tigers crawl back into the game at the Scottrade Center, as Mizzou held the Illini to 24 percent shooting (6-of-25) while causing six turnovers. Mizzou was able to cut the lead to four within the final half-minute of play, but could not close the gap further.
Top Tigers
- Robertson had a monster second half, scoring 20 of his 22 points in the second frame. Robertson connected on three three-pointers, the 73rd time in his career he has made multiple treys.
- Playing in his hometown, Barnett scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to record his fourth career double-double.
- Tilmon was effective on the glass in his first Braggin' Rights game, snagging seven rebounds to go with seven points.
- Harris played a vital role in Mizzou's comeback in the second half, as the Tiger freshman scored all 10 of his points after the break.
Up Next
Mizzou will begin Southeastern Conference play after the holidays, starting with a road contest at South Carolina on Wednesday, Jan. 3. Tipoff from Columbia, S.C., will begin at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
For all the latest on Mizzou Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouHoops) and like the team Facebook and Instagram (Mizzou Hoops).
