Tigers take eight-point lead into halftime
The Tigers shook off some recent shooting woes by putting up a 48.4 percent field goal percentage in the first half against Oklahoma State. At halftime, Missouri leads 42-34.
Sophomore guard Kim English leads all scorers with 14 points on five-of-10 shooting. The Tigers have gotten to the basket effectively with 14 points in the paint, including a rim-rattling alley-oop from sophomore forward Laurence Bowers.
MU kept up defensive pressure as well, forcing 16 turnovers and scoring 22 points on them. When Missouri gets plenty of fastbreak opportunities, it usually means trouble for opponents.
For the most part the Tigers kept control of tempo during the first half, though they weren't immune from a couple spells of cold shooting. After building a 25-10 lead, Missouri saw Oklahoma State charge back to make it 25-22. But MU had an answer and kept its lead hovering around 10 points for a good portion of the half.