Tigers lead Bears, 40-39, at halftime
In his return to the starting lineup, Leo Lyons has 13 points, as Missouri leads Baylor, 40-39, at halftime. Kevin Rogers leads Baylor with 12 points.
MU shot out to a lead of 13 points early in the first half, as the Tigers' shots continued to fall and Baylor's shots continued to be contested. However, as the half progressed, the depth on Missouri's bench failed to maintain the momentum on both ends of the floor. Missouri began to miss shots and bleed more of the shot clock, while Baylor managed to find open looks that weren't available in the early going.
Throughout the half, the officials have seemed content to let the teams play. As the half progressed, Missouri's players were stripped of the ball with more frequency as the result of contact that didn't sit well with the Mizzou Arena crowd. Multiple Baylor players also looked at the officials in disbelief after several rough plays in the Missouri end of play. Free throw attemps are nearly even (12 for Missouri to 10 for Baylor), as the game of two supposed finesse, shooting teams got rather physical in the first half.