Missouri 81, Texas 67: Tiger Trio Leads Mizzou To Big 12 Finals

It was chippy, it was physical, and it was odd, but powered by some incredible play by Phil Pressey (23 points on 8-for-13 shooting, four assists) and a double-double from Ricardo Ratliffe (18 and 15), the Missouri Tigers advanced to the finals of the Big 12 Tournament with an 81-67 win over Texas Friday night in Kansas City.

Pressey and Kim English (23 points on 9-for-10 shooting) were unstoppable from the field in the first half, but the Longhorns hung around and spent much of the early portion of the second half trailing by single digits. But following a brief injury to J'Covan Brown, Mizzou went on a small run and was never seriously challenged.

Things got chippy when Clint Chapman fouled Ricardo Ratliffe's face and Kim English caught a knee to the quadricep, but Mike Dixon made a pair of Mike Dixon Eff You Threes™, and Pressey found his muse, Ratliffe, for a series of buckets to ice the game away. Incredibly, the Tigers won by double digits despite leading scorer Marcus Denmon shooting 0-for-10 from the field.

Just as they did in 2009, Missouri and Baylor will play for the Big 12 Tournament title Saturday at 5:00 p.m. CT. The Bears prevented a Border War rubber match with an 81-72 win over Kansas earlier on Friday evening. Ice that leg, Kimmie.

WHAT SAY YOU, DR. SOYOYE?