Tigers knock out California Golden Bears

Fans, players pull punches in 27-point victory.

By Ross Taylor

Published Dec. 9, 2008

Like a boxer with a devastating jab-hook combination, Missouri coach Mike Anderson seems to have found comfort in a combination of his own that has begun to pack a punch.

In nearly every game this season, the Missouri men's basketball team attempted to establish its presence inside before turning to young shooters off the bench to provide some perimeter threat.

MU worked that two-pronged attack to perfection early against the California Golden Bears on Sunday, opening up a lead that once stretched as large as 24 points with six minutes to play in the first half. MU beat the Bears 93-66 and did not trail at any point in the game.

"They outplayed us, they out-hustled us, the out-rebounded us," California junior guard Jerome Randle said.

The Tigers put together a complete 40 minutes of high-pressure, high-speed basketball that earned Anderson's praise after the game.

"Our guys showed up to play," he said. "They played an excellent game from start to finish. There was an energy in the building."

MU (7-1) came out flying early, running the offense with senior forwards DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons. The duo sparked the team with a series of baseline fade-away shots and tough inside layups, scoring 18 of the team's first 20 points.

As soon as California started to counter the big men, Anderson turned to his bench, primarily the shooting hand of freshman guard Marcus Denmon. In the first half, Denmon turned in 10 points in 11 minutes of playing time.

The second half belonged to freshman Kim English, who at one point in the final 20 minutes hit a three-pointer on three consecutive Missouri possessions. English, who finished with 16 total points, fouled out with four minutes to play in the game, earning a standing ovation from the Mizzou Arena crowd on his way back to the bench.

"My teammates had seen I was hot, so they just kept on finding me, and the shots were falling," English said.

Lost in the scoring spree, however, was the MU's defensive play that was featured throughout the game. California's Randle, who entered Sunday averaging 21 points per game, was held to 15 points, partially as a result of the defense from junior guard Zaire Taylor.

"Zaire did a great job on Randle," Anderson said. "He was a big key in this game."

For a team that feeds off energy, a small but active home stand of 8,310 people certainly did its part to charge up the team.

"Coach said, 'If you want to get the fans here, they're coming tonight, so you've got to keep them here,'" Carroll said.

The win was so thorough that the crowd was able to continue a blowout tradition — chants to get some playing time for walk-on Jarrett Sutton. Anderson called for a big crowd after MU's win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday and said the energy level in the arena on Sunday was great.

"The fans that were here, they were just having fun," Anderson said. "I also said, 'Can you imagine having 16,000 in here every night?' You can see it just takes these guys to another level."