Tourney tilts Tigers’ way
Things couldn’t have gone better Thursday for Mizzou at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
After a back-and-forth first half against Texas Tech, the Tigers (26-6) used a 17-2 run early in the second to build a 15-point lead. And they never looked back in the 81-60 quarterfinal beatdown of the Red Raiders.
DeMarre Carroll led Mizzou with 19 points, and J.T. Tiller and Matt Lawrence each scored 13. Zaire Taylor couldn’t be contained in any aspect of the game; he had eight points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
In addition to the win, the tournament bracket couldn’t have set up any better for the Tigers. No. 1 seed Kansas was knocked off by No. 9 Baylor to start the day. No. 5 Texas took down No. 4 Kansas State, and No. 2 Oklahoma lost to in-state rival Oklahoma State.
Sure, the teams that lost were considered, along with Mizzou, to have the best odds of winning. But it’s especially significant because No. 3 seeds are the lowest to ever win the Big 12 Tournament. The physical and mental stress of winning four games in four days for the lower-seeded teams has proven to be too much to overcome. So it would appear the path for the Tigers, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, has opened up widely.
Mizzou takes on No. 7 Oklahoma State at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Should the Tigers continue their run, they will play for the title Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
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