COLUMBIA, Mo. – Dru Smith and No. 18 Missouri built a 22-point lead in the second half, then held off a frantic rally by No.
10 Alabama for a 68-65 victory on Saturday. The Tigers held their largest lead with 13:05 left and were still up by 20 with less than six minutes remaining.
Missouri's only points after that came on four free throws. The Crimson Tide started scoring on nearly every possession and Herb Jones had two chances to give Alabama the lead in the final 20 seconds, but he missed a layup and had another try blocked by Mitchell Smith.
Dru Smith had 16 points and eight rebonds for the Tigers (13-3, 6-3 Southeastern Conference). Kobe Brown added 13 points and nine rebounds, and Mark Smith finished with 12 points.