No. 4 Missouri rallies past No. 8 Kansas 74-71

COLUMBIA, Mo. — After a bunch of off-target games, Marcus Denmon couldn't miss. Especially at the finish.

The senior guard hit three 3-pointers in the final 2:05, the last for the go-ahead points, and No. 4 Missouri scored the game's final 11 points to rally past No. 8 Kansas 74-71 in Game 1 of what could be the schools' final border showdown Saturday night.

"Marcus made three huge shots," said teammate Kim English, who added 18 points. "They were huge plays. Kansas didn't let up at all."

Denmon scored 29 points, two off his career best, and ended a long-range shooting slump with a career-best six 3-pointers in nine attempts.

"Marcus worked his tail off all week," coach Frank Haith said.

The go-ahead 3-pointer came with 56 seconds to go for a one-point lead. Michael Dixon added a pair of free throws with 9.8 seconds left after an offensive foul on Tyshawn Taylor and Kansas' Elijah Johnson missed badly on a shot to tie it at the buzzer.

"The most important thing I remember hearing was Kimmie saying, 'We're going to win this game,'" Denmon said. "I understood how much it meant to him to say that. We're the senior leaders and I felt we had to come out and execute."

Missouri (21-2, 8-2 Big 12) beat Kansas for only the second time in the last 12 meetings, and the Tigers' impending departure for the SEC added spice to the final conference meeting in Columbia, Mo.

Thomas Robinson had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Kansas (18-5, 8-2), but the closing minutes were anguish for coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks were scoreless the final 3:20 after Taylor dunked for a 71-63 lead.

"We let up on the gas and they hit shots. Big shots," said Robinson, his voice choked with emotion. "We blew that game. I still give them credit for making shots."

Other miscues: Robinson was called for an offensive foul with 1:42 to go and with Missouri up by one, Taylor missed two free throws with 41 seconds to go.

"We obviously made some really bad plays late, really bad plays," Self said. "They've still got to make shots, but they had a guy that was unbelievable."

Missouri is 13-0 at home, and this was the closest call by far for a team that has usually dominated. The previous smallest margin was 11 points over Texas last month.