Post by MizzouTiger on Jan 19, 2008 13:29:55 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/167/story/442232.html
Missouri shocks No. 12 Texas 97-84
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star
COLUMBIA | If you saw this coming, then buy a lottery ticket.
Yes, Missouri really did whip No. 12 Texas 97-84 on Saturday, probably the biggest victory in the two-year Mike Anderson era. The Tigers shot 70 percent in the second half, and Texas coach Rick Barnes couldn’t remember when his Longhorns stunk up a basketball joint so thoroughly.
But the real story of how the Tigers broke a nine-game losing streak to a Texas team that beat them by 20 a year ago was Keon Lawrence. And just think, a month ago the sophomore guard told Anderson he wanted to go home to Newark, N.J., and stay.
“I was serious about it,” said Lawrence, who scored 15 of his team-leading 18 points in a first half that ended with the Tigers behind 40-38.
At one point, Lawrence scored 10 straight points — and 13 of 15 — for MU.
“I was low and unhappy,” Lawrence said. “I told coach it wasn’t anybody here. I just thought I needed to get away.”
Anderson, in a lengthy conversation with Lawrence shortly after Missouri’s victory over Purdue on Dec. 8, told Lawrence he was afraid of what might happen if he went back to the mean streets of Newark. But Lawrence felt in danger of imploding at Mizzou if his basketball game didn’t start measuring up to his own expectations.
“Keon, he kind of beats himself up,” Anderson said. “He wants it so bad.”
Until Saturday, Lawrence wasn’t getting it. But he showed the way against Texas when he came off the bench and hit five of nine from the field, three of three threes, five of six free throws with a couple of assists, two steals and just one turnover in 26 minutes.
His teammates happily followed Lawrence’s lead.
Six Tigers scored in double figures. Jason Horton — perfect from the field, three-point range and the free-throw line on 10 combined shots — scored 16 points. Stefhon Hannah scored 15 points with six assists and six rebounds.
Marshall Brown, a senior from Austin, Texas, who always seems to give the Longhorns fits, scored 14.
Big men DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons each had four fouls, but Carroll scored 12 points in 25 minutes and Lyons 10 in 11.
“We were playing like we were (Friday) in practice,” Lawrence said. “Everyone was moving, getting touches.”
And finally, Lawrence felt the worst was behind him.
“The way I grew up, I had to put a lot of pressure on myself to get through the ’hood,” Lawrence said.
He tried not to. But he entered Saturday hitting only 39.6 percent of his shots and just 25.5 percent of his threes. Those numbers, Lawrence figured, had the Longhorns playing defense on him as if he were no threat.
“See if he can make some,” Lawrence said.
Barnes tried his best to compliment Lawrence and the Tigers, now 10-5. But he couldn’t help but observe how his own 13-3 team played as if it were 3-13.
“We were horrible,” Barnes said. “We should probably apologize to them. I’m sure they thought they were at a shoot-around.”
Barnes singled out two Longhorns for criticism.
Of freshman forward Gary Johnson, Barnes said: “Couldn’t guard anybody, didn’t try to guard anybody, didn’t rebound.”
Of his junior center: “Connor Atchley hasn’t shown up for three or four games now.”
Despite starting guards A.J. Abrams and D. J. Augustin scoring 21 and 17 points respectively, Barnes pointed out the two were five for 18 from three-point range and only five of 12 from the free-throw line.
Only sophomore forward Damion James was beyond criticism. He scored 27 points and ripped down 16 rebounds.
The victory earned Missouri a tie for the Big 12 Conference lead, along with every other league winner on the opening weekend of league play.
“That’s one game down,” Lawrence said. “We won against a good basketball team. But the way we played today we’ve got to play through the whole Big 12.”
Missouri shocks No. 12 Texas 97-84
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star
COLUMBIA | If you saw this coming, then buy a lottery ticket.
Yes, Missouri really did whip No. 12 Texas 97-84 on Saturday, probably the biggest victory in the two-year Mike Anderson era. The Tigers shot 70 percent in the second half, and Texas coach Rick Barnes couldn’t remember when his Longhorns stunk up a basketball joint so thoroughly.
But the real story of how the Tigers broke a nine-game losing streak to a Texas team that beat them by 20 a year ago was Keon Lawrence. And just think, a month ago the sophomore guard told Anderson he wanted to go home to Newark, N.J., and stay.
“I was serious about it,” said Lawrence, who scored 15 of his team-leading 18 points in a first half that ended with the Tigers behind 40-38.
At one point, Lawrence scored 10 straight points — and 13 of 15 — for MU.
“I was low and unhappy,” Lawrence said. “I told coach it wasn’t anybody here. I just thought I needed to get away.”
Anderson, in a lengthy conversation with Lawrence shortly after Missouri’s victory over Purdue on Dec. 8, told Lawrence he was afraid of what might happen if he went back to the mean streets of Newark. But Lawrence felt in danger of imploding at Mizzou if his basketball game didn’t start measuring up to his own expectations.
“Keon, he kind of beats himself up,” Anderson said. “He wants it so bad.”
Until Saturday, Lawrence wasn’t getting it. But he showed the way against Texas when he came off the bench and hit five of nine from the field, three of three threes, five of six free throws with a couple of assists, two steals and just one turnover in 26 minutes.
His teammates happily followed Lawrence’s lead.
Six Tigers scored in double figures. Jason Horton — perfect from the field, three-point range and the free-throw line on 10 combined shots — scored 16 points. Stefhon Hannah scored 15 points with six assists and six rebounds.
Marshall Brown, a senior from Austin, Texas, who always seems to give the Longhorns fits, scored 14.
Big men DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons each had four fouls, but Carroll scored 12 points in 25 minutes and Lyons 10 in 11.
“We were playing like we were (Friday) in practice,” Lawrence said. “Everyone was moving, getting touches.”
And finally, Lawrence felt the worst was behind him.
“The way I grew up, I had to put a lot of pressure on myself to get through the ’hood,” Lawrence said.
He tried not to. But he entered Saturday hitting only 39.6 percent of his shots and just 25.5 percent of his threes. Those numbers, Lawrence figured, had the Longhorns playing defense on him as if he were no threat.
“See if he can make some,” Lawrence said.
Barnes tried his best to compliment Lawrence and the Tigers, now 10-5. But he couldn’t help but observe how his own 13-3 team played as if it were 3-13.
“We were horrible,” Barnes said. “We should probably apologize to them. I’m sure they thought they were at a shoot-around.”
Barnes singled out two Longhorns for criticism.
Of freshman forward Gary Johnson, Barnes said: “Couldn’t guard anybody, didn’t try to guard anybody, didn’t rebound.”
Of his junior center: “Connor Atchley hasn’t shown up for three or four games now.”
Despite starting guards A.J. Abrams and D. J. Augustin scoring 21 and 17 points respectively, Barnes pointed out the two were five for 18 from three-point range and only five of 12 from the free-throw line.
Only sophomore forward Damion James was beyond criticism. He scored 27 points and ripped down 16 rebounds.
The victory earned Missouri a tie for the Big 12 Conference lead, along with every other league winner on the opening weekend of league play.
“That’s one game down,” Lawrence said. “We won against a good basketball team. But the way we played today we’ve got to play through the whole Big 12.”