Luckily for the Tigers, there wasn’t much else from the Fighting Illini to worry about.
Missouri held off a late charge from No. 6 Illinois and overcame 36 points from Dosunmu for an 81-78 victory Saturday night.
Dru Smith had 17 points, Javon Pickett had 14 points and five rebounds and the Tigers held on in the annual “Braggin’ Rights” rivalry game.
Missouri (5-0) led 49-41 at halftime and held on for its third straight win in the series. Illinois (4-2) trailed by 13 with nine minutes left but rallied to tie it before the Tigers closed out the upset.
“They’re tough. They’re basketball players,” Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said of his team. “They’ve took some lumps. Injuries, tough losses and all of that, we’ve taken our lumps. … I thought our guards did a great job blocking out and being physical.”
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