UCLA 71 - 80 Missouri
Final
  for this game

Missouri knocks off UCLA in battle of unbeatens

Dec 7, 2013 - 10:09 PM Columbia, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Jabari Brown led four Missouri players in double figures with 22 points and the Tigers extended their home dominance with an 80-71 win over the 18th-ranked UCLA Bruins.

Jordan Clarkson posted his fifth consecutive 20-point game, finishing with 21 in the Tigers' (9-0) 24th straight victory at Mizzou Arena, the longest home winning streak in the nation.

Earnest Ross scored 20 points on 5-of-11 3-point shooting for Missouri, which overcame an eight-point halftime deficit.

Jordan Adams had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Bruins (8-1), who were off to their best start since beginning 14-0 in 2006-07.

Two Adams free throws gave UCLA a 49-39 lead early in the second half, but the Tigers rallied and went up 51-50 on Ross' trey with 14:47 remaining. The teams then went back-and-forth, resulting in the game's seventh tie at 60-all near the 10-minute mark.

Missouri then went on a 14-4 run over the next eight-plus minutes, and Brown later sank two free throws to put the Tigers up 74-64 with 1:43 to play. UCLA got no closer than seven points down the stretch.

"We played with great tenacity there in the second half. Our defense was outstanding," said Missouri head coach Frank Haith.

The opening eight-plus minutes were tightly contested, with Missouri leading 17-16 on a Tony Criswell layup.

UCLA then went on a 14-0 run before the Tigers countered with an 11-0 burst. A windmill slam by Zach LaVine then capped an 8-0 UCLA surge and put the visitors ahead 38-28 with 2:41 left in the opening half. Brown drilled a 3- pointer prior to the break to trim the Tigers' deficit to 43-35.

"The first half we did the things we've been doing all year; we played with good pace, we shared the ball, we were pretty active defensively," said UCLA head coach Steve Alford. "In the second half ... we just didn't do those things."

Game Notes

The win was the Tigers' 79th in a row at home against a non-conference opponent ... The last Missouri player to record five straight 20-point games was Thomas Gardner during the 2005-06 season ... Johnathan Williams had a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds for Missouri ... The Bruins still lead the all-time series, 6-2 ... LaVine and Kyle Anderson both had 13 points for the Bruins.






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