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No. 13 Missouri holds off VCU

Nov 25, 2012 - 3:05 AM Paradise Island, Bahamas (Sports Network) - Phil Pressey drained the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:18 on the clock as No. 13 Missouri edged VCU, 68-65, on Saturday in the consolation game of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.

Pressey finished with 11 points and eight assists. Laurence Bowers scored a game-high 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Negus Webster-Chan added 12 points and five boards for the Tigers (5-1). Keion Bell and Earnest Ross donated 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the triumph.

Juvonte Reddic scored 12 points and pulled down nine boards, while Treveon Graham contributed 12 points and five rebounds for the Rams (3-3), who have lost two straight.

With VCU holding a one-point lead and less than three minutes to play, Bell drained a layup to put the Tigers ahead, 61-60, but Rob Brandenberg answered at the other end with a jumper for the Rams, making it a 62-61 game with two minutes remaining.

Bowers laid home two off a great pass from Pressey to again put Missouri up, but Briante Weber nailed a trey from the top of the arc to give the Rams a 65-63 edge with just over 1 1/2 minutes to go.

On the ensuing Missouri touch, Pressey found himself wide open at the top of the arc and buried the deep trey to give his team the lead.

Pressey then gave the Tigers some breathing room after he knocked down a tough floater in the lane with 15 seconds left.

Troy Daniels hoisted a potential game-tying trey with three seconds left, but the shot hit front iron and fell short.

The Rams opened a 23-16 lead with an 11-2 burst before the run was stopped by an Alex Oriakhi layup with just over 6 1/2 minutes on the clock.

Missouri closed the half with a 10-2 run to take a 30-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Webster-Chan led the Tigers, who shot 43.3 percent in the half, with seven points, while Daniels set the pace with nine points for the Rams.

Back-to-back three-pointers by Ross and Pressey gave the Tigers a 44-35 lead with less than six minutes gone in the second half, but the Rams answered right back with the next eight points to cut the deficit to one.

Bell hit a layup with just under 8 minutes to go which put Missouri up 55-47, but the Rams fought back with a 13-4 surge to take a 60-59 lead.

Game Notes

Saturday marked just the second meeting between the programs. The only other matchup resulted in a Missouri win in 1971 ... Missouri shot 49.1 percent from the floor and 8-of-19 from beyond the arc, while VCU shot 41.5 from the field and 8-of-26 from 3-point range ... Oriakhi finished with six points and six boards.