COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men's Basketball advanced to the Paradise Jam championship game with a 69-63 victory over Oregon State in Sunday night's semifinal. Mizzou's senior leaders Jordan Geist and Kevin Puryear combined for 38 of Mizzou's 69 points to steer the Tigers to a win.

Mizzou improved to 3-1 on the campaign with its second consecutive victory. Head coach Cuonzo Martin is now 7-1 all-time vs. Oregon State

Mizzou converted 22-of-28 free throws on Sunday, with Geist making 12-of-15. Geist finished with a game-high 21 points and Puryear added 17 points and seven rebounds. Eight different Tigers found the scoring column as Mizzou used a balanced attack both offensively and defensively to earn the win.­

TURNING POINT­

With the score tied at 48-48, Mizzou dug in defensively to seize control. The Tigers held Oregon State scoreless for nearly 5:30 of game clock, which keyed an 11-0 run.

After a Puryear triple and a jumper from freshman Xavier Pinson, Mizzou built a 61-48 advantage. During that stretch, Mizzou went 6-for-6 at the charity stripe. Oregon State cut the deficit to a little as six but the Mizzou run proved to be too much down the stretch.

TOP TIGERS

• Geist led the Tigers with 21 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field and an impressive 12-of-15 clip at the charity stripe. Geist's 12 free throws were a career-high.
• Geist is the first Mizzou player to make 10 or more free throws since Puryear converted 10 against Auburn on March 4, 2018.
• Geist has now scored in double figures 20 times in his career and has posted 20 or more points in two ballgames. His 21 points in the win were a personal season-high and the most points by a Mizzou player in a contest this season.
• Puryear also made his presence felt on offense, pouring in a season-high 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field.
• Puryear's 17 points gave him three straight games scoring in double figures. The senior last did so to begin the 2017 campaign, pouring in 10 or more points in four straight contests.
• Puryear also found his stroke at the line, sinking six free throws on six attempts. Puryear last went 6-for-6 at the line last season in a win over Tennessee.
• Puryear led the Tigers with eight rebounds, giving him five or more rebounds in 61 games during his career.

GAME NOTES

• With the victory, Mizzou earned its first win over a Pac 12 opponent since beating UCLA on December 7, 2013.
• As a team, the Tigers posted their best clip from the line in a game this season making 22-of-28 attempts (79 percent).
• Mizzou has fared better from the free throw line during their trip to the Virgin Islands, posting a 75 percent clip through two games in paradise while shooting 60 percent during the first two games of the season.
• When Mizzou faced foul trouble in the first half, forward Reed Nikko made his presence felt inside. The junior forward hauled in six rebounds and also rejected two shots, posting season-highs in both categories.
• Mizzou held the Beavers to 1-for-9 shooting from distance in the first half. Oregon State's 11.1 percent clip was the lowest percentage Mizzou has allowed from three-point land in a single half this season.
• Sophomore guard Mark Smith has now drilled multiple threes in three of four games to start the season, sinking a pair of triples in the win.
• Smith dished out four assists, a season-high.
• Mizzou has committed less turnovers than its opponents in each of its victories this season after forcing 15 turnovers and committing only eight (a season-low) in the win.

UP NEXT

Mizzou wraps up play at the Paradise Jam on Monday in the title game. The Tigers are set to square off with former Big 12 rival No. 12 Kansas State. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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