COLUMBIA, Mo. — In their SEC debut, the 10th-ranked Missouri Tigers beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 84-68 at Mizzou Arena on Tuesday night.
Sophomore guard Jabari Brown drained five three-pointers, and finished with a career-high 22 points to lead the Tigers.
Early in the first half, Missouri (12-2, 1-0 SEC) went on a 10-0 run and took a 15-5 lead on a thunderous jam by senior forward Alex Oriakhi.
Alabama (8-6, 0-1 SEC) answered with a 16-3 run, and led 21-18 with 7:45 to play in the first half. The Tigers led 40-36 at the break.
Mizzou never trailed in the second half. It was a hot shooting night for the Tigers, who finished 56% from the field, and 60% from beyond the arc. The Tigers edged the Crimson Tide on the boards 27-25.
Tigers junior guard Phil Pressey recorded his fifth career double-double, finishing with 11 points and 13 assists. Oriakhi also posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Trevor Releford, a graduate of Bishop Miege, led the Crimson Tide with 26 points.
Missouri will play their first SEC road game on Saturday night against the Ole Miss Rebels at Tad Smith Coliseum.
