2018 Mizzou Seniors2018 Mizzou Seniors
Men's Basketball

@MizzouHoops Gets to 20 Wins with Defeat of Arkansas on Senior Night, 77-67

Mizzou Men's Basketball defeated Arkansas on Senior Night, 77-67, to give the Tigers their 20th win of the season, the most regular season wins for the program on-the-court since 2013-14. The win also put Mizzou (20-11, 10-8 SEC) over .500 in Southeastern Conference play for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Mizzou's victory came by way of a dominant effort on the glass, as the Tigers outrebounded the Razorbacks by 12. Proficiency from deep range also lifted Mizzou, as the Tigers sank 10 triples for the 20th time this season.

Opens in a new window Box Score Opens in a new window Postgame Notes Opens in a new window Postgame Quotes Opens in a new window Photos Opens in a new window Box Score Opens in a new window Postgame Notes Opens in a new window Postgame Quotes Opens in a new window YouTube Opens in a new window Photos

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Men's Basketball defeated Arkansas on Senior Night, 77-67, to give the Tigers their 20th win of the season, the most regular season wins for the program on-the-court since 2013-14. The win also put Mizzou (20-11, 10-8 SEC) over .500 in Southeastern Conference play for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Mizzou's victory came by way of a dominant effort on the glass, as the Tigers outrebounded the Razorbacks by 12. Proficiency from deep range also lifted Mizzou, as the Tigers sank 10 triples for the 20th time this season.

Senior forward Jordan Barnett (St. Louis, Mo.) left it all on the court in his last came in front of a Mizzou Arena crowd, going for a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Barnett got a lot of help, though, as the freshmen big men Jeremiah Tilmon (East St. Louis, Ill.) and Jontay Porter (Columbia, Mo.) played well against Arkansas' talented front line all game long. Tilmon scored 17 points with eight rebounds while Porter finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

TURNING POINT

The Tigers and Razorbacks were knotted up at 51 with 12:22 to play when the Tigers were finally able to get themselves some breathing room. Mizzou went on a 16-6 run, gathering six of those points from the free throw line. Tilmon, Barnett and junior guard Jordan Geist (Fort Wayne, Ind.) were all perfect from the stripe over the run.

The Tigers also used their signature three-point shooting to help build their lead, as Barnett and Porter combined for nine points from deep over the run. Barnett hit his fourth three-ball of the game in the middle of the run, knocking one in from well beyond the arc. Porter then capped the spurt with back-to-back triples of his own to give the Black & Gold a 12-point advantage. Porter's first look was wide-open, but his second triple during the run came while he was buried in the corner and with a hand in his face.

TOP TIGERS

  • Graduate senior guard Kassius Robertson (Toronto, Ontario) reentered double-figure scoring on his senior night after only going for nine against Vanderbilt, as the Canisius transfer scored 14 points.
  • Geist played 33 tough minutes, scoring four points and dishing out a team-high four assists.

NOTES

  • With the victory, Mizzou finished over .500 in league play for the first time since 2012-13, finishing with a 10-8 mark in the SEC.
  • With the win, Cuonzo Martin became only the second first-year Mizzou head coach ever to reach 20 wins.
  • Mizzou moved to a perfect 10-0 this season when leading at halftime in Mizzou Arena.
  • Mizzou also moved to 7-3 this season when it holds opponents under 70 points. The Tigers held the Razorbacks to just 67 points.
  • Arkansas had averaged 82.5 points-per-game this season. It was the 22nd time the Tigers' defense held an opponent under their season scoring average.
  • Senior guard Jordan Barnett hit five three-pointers in the win, moving him into fifth-place all time on Mizzou's senior single-season three-pointers chart. Barnett, who now has 81 three-pointers made this season, passed Kim English and Paul O'Liney.
  • Barnett also registered his fifth double-double this season and the sixth of his career, scoring 19 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.
  • Jontay Porter scored 19 points in the win, registering double-digit points scored for the 16th time this season. Mizzou is 15-1 when Porter scores in double-digits.
  • Jeremiah Tilmon joined Barnett and Porter in the double-figure scoring column, collecting a career-high 17 points. It was Tilmon's 12th contest this season with 10-or-more points.

UP NEXT

The Tigers now prepare for the SEC Tournament at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. As the No. 5 seed, Mizzou has a first-round bye and will play Thursday, March 8, at approximately 2:30 p.m. against the winner of Wednesday's No. 12 Georgia vs. No. 13 Vanderbilt game. Thursday's game will air on the SEC Network.

For all the latest on Mizzou Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@MizzouHoops).