COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Kansas State was within striking distance of Missouri in action at the Hearnes Center; however, the Tigers managed to hold-off the Wildcats to capture a 62-53 victory this evening.
The Tigers were 1-for-11 from 3-point range in the first half but 6-for-11 the rest of the way. Missouri hit only 3-pointers, making six of them to go with four free throws, in a 16-minute stretch that ended on Arthur Johnson's shot from the baseline with 2:11 to go.
The Tigers (9-8, 4-3 Big 12) rebounded from a 13-point loss at Colorado on Wednesday despite another off-game from leading scorer Rickey Paulding, who had nine points. They also won with a short bench, doing without forward Linas Kleiza (dislocated shoulder) and point guard Randy Pulley (disciplinary suspension).
Paulding, who averages 15.9 points, was 4-for-12 and is 7-for-24 his past two games. Kleiza will be out two weeks and Pulley was suspended after skipping practice on Friday, two days after he did not play at Colorado.
Jarrett Hart had a career-best 20 points for Kansas State, doubling his average. The Wildcats (9-8, 1-5) have lost 19 straight Big 12 games on the road dating to a 72-67 victory at Colorado on March 3, 2001.
Kansas State also has dropped 20 in a row to Missouri in the Hearnes Center and eight of nine to the Tigers overall. And the Wildcats have lost 14 straight on the road overall dating a victory at Wichita State on Dec. 14, 2002, including an 0-5 record this year.
Johnson added 13 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots for Missouri. Jimmy McKinney added 10 points.
Missouri put the game away with a 12-1 run, pulling away after Kansas State had tied it when Hart scored in the lane to make it 34-34 with 13:18 to play. Gardner, Josh Kroenke and Jason Conley hit 3-pointers in the run, with Conley's 3 snapping a personal 0-for-18 slump from long range.
That run made it 46-35 with 6:38 to go, and Kansas State never got any closer than seven points the rest of the way.
Missouri lead by as many as nine points in the first half. But Kansas State scored seven of the last nine points, capitalizing on two turnovers by McKinney in the final minute, to cut the gap to 27-25.
