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Missouri looks for season split with Kansas State

Feb 25, 2009 - 11:25 AM Kansas State (19-8) at No. 8 Missouri (23-4) 9:00 p.m. EST

COLUMBIA, Missouri (Ticker) -- One of the more surprising teams in the country, Missouri will have a chance to prove itself in the next week against a pair of elite teams in the Big 12.

First, the eighth-ranked Tigers will look to avenge their last loss when they host Kansas State on Wednesday.

Missouri (23-4, 10-2 Big 12) is in a battle with Kansas and Oklahoma atop the conference standings and still has meetings with each left on the schedule.

Before those showdowns, the Tigers meet the Wildcats in search of their seventh straight victory. Kansas State (19-8, 7-5) won the meeting in Manhattan, 88-72, handing Missouri its only loss in its last 11 games.

Jacob Pullen led the Wildcats with 23 points in that contest while Jamar Samuels and Fred Brown combined to score 35 off the bench.

The Tigers are coming off a 66-53 victory over Colorado Saturday behind 13 points and 15 rebounds from Leo Lyons and 10 and by eight from DeMarre Carroll.

Kansas State won a defensive battle against Iowa State, 50-46, on Saturday. Samuels had a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards and the Wildcats held the Cyclones to 30 percent from the field.