COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men's Basketball triumphed in overtime, defeating Arkansas, 83-79, in the fifth annual Rally for Rhyan game. Mizzou (11-12, 3-7 SEC) improved to 5-0 in Rally For Rhyan games and 4-0 in the last four contests against Arkansas (16-7, 4-6 SEC) at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers outrebounded the Razorbacks 52-35, the most boards since Mizzou tallied 55 against Florida in 2017.

Sophomore Xavier Pinson paced the Tigers, scoring a career-high 24 points. With 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds on the day, Reed Nikko secured his first career double-double. Javon Pickett and Dru Smith also scored in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Mizzou fell behind Arkansas at the beginning of the first half with both offenses struggling to score. That was until Mizzou erupted with a 13-2 run to give them a nine-point advantage halfway through the period. The Tigers led 36-30 at the half.

The Razorbacks battled back, however, opening the second half on a 12-6 run to tie the game at 42. Mizzou and Arkansas traded blows for the remainder of regulation, as neither team was able to gain the advantage. In overtime, Pinson took over, scoring seven of the Tigers' 16 points to lead Mizzou to victory.

TURNING POINT

With 22 seconds remaining in overtime, Pinson stormed down the court, gifting Tray Jackson an alley-oop pass. Jackson threw it down emphatically, giving the Tigers a four-point advantage in the extra period. The Tigers made clutch free throws to seal the victory.

TOP TIGERS

• Reed Nikko was a dominant force in the paint throughout the contest, securing his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end.
• Xavier Pinson controlled the Tigers offense with an all-around performance. Pinson scored a career-high 24 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists.
• Javon Pickett contributed 14 points and collected six rebounds. Pickett scored several clutch baskets near the end of regulation to force the overtime period.

NOTES

• Senior forward Reed Nikko had a big afternoon on the glass, setting a new career-high with 11 total rebounds. Nikko was filling out the stat sheet, posting his fourth career double-digit scoring effort and his second of the season.
• Nikko provided extra chances for the Tigers on offense all afternoon, setting a career-high with seven offensive rebounds. His effort on the floor earned Nikko his first career double-double.
• Redshirt junior forward Mitchell Smith tied a career-high with 11 rebounds. It is his fourth time reaching that mark. Smith has been getting after it on the boards as of late, grabbing at least five rebounds in six of his last seven contests.
• Mizzou's defense has been stifling all season long. The Tigers have forced 10+ turnovers in 22 of their 23 contests on the year, including all 10 SEC matchups.
• With 36 points, the Tigers had their highest scoring first half since visiting Alabama on Jan. 18 (40).
• Mizzou dominated the glass, grabbing 52 rebounds to Arkansas' 35.
• Sophomore guard Xavier Pinson set a new career-high with 24 points. His previous high was 20 against Ole Miss last season (March 9).
• Pinson has now scored in double figures eight times this season and three times in his last four contests. He was efficient at the line, converting on 12-of-13 opportunities.
• Pinson also set a season-high with seven rebounds in the contest.
• Fellow sophomore guard Javon Pickett scored 14 points. Mizzou improved to 7-0 on the year when Pickett reaches double figures.
• Redshirt junior guard Dru Smith went 5-6 from the free throw line, bringing his season total to 90.6 percent. If the season ended today, that would be a Mizzou single-season record.
• Freshman forward Tray Jackson tallied his third block of the season.
• Mizzou got after it on the boards, setting a season-high with 52 total rebounds, the highest team total since grabbing 55 vs. on Feb. 2, 2017.
• Mizzou got big contributions from its bench, outscoring the Arkansas bench 18-9. The Tigers are +108 in bench points their last 15 games, and +164 on the season. Mizzou has outscored or matched 18 of its opponents in bench production this season.
• Mizzou improves to 5-0 in the annual Rally for Rhyan game.

Up Next

Mizzou hits the road to take on No. 18 LSU in Baton Rouge, La. on Tuesday evening. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network with tip-off slated for 8 p.m.

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