COLLEGE STATION, Texas • The latest chapter of No. 3 Mizzou's intriguing season, a 71-62 win over Texas A&M on Saturday at Reed Arena, was a compilation of what has enabled this team to match the best 27-game record in school history and achieve its best Big 12 start.
First, there was the splendid shooting. The Tigers, third in the nation in field-goal percentage entering the game at just over 50 percent, kissed in 23 of 41 (56.1 percent) with crisp ball movement.
"It's really equal opportunity," said guard Kim English, who led the Tigers with 21 points. "That's the way Coach (Frank) Haith designed it. The go-to guy is the open man."
Another staple was free-throw shooting. MU, fifth in the country in that category at 76.8 percent, hit 17 of 20 (85 percent). And for the 14th time in 27 games, despite being at a distinct size disadvantage, Mizzou used its quickness and grit to outrebound its opponent, 26-16.
It was another trademark though that helped put this one away for Mizzou (25-2, 12-2 Big 12) and end an 11-year, five-game futility streak here. A&M had roared back from a 13-point deficit to cut MU's lead to 65-60 on a 3-pointer by Elston Turner with 1 minute, 19 seconds left.
An instant Phil Pressey turnover gave the Aggies the ball back and a spark before the crowd of 11,818. But that fizzled because of another defining quality: Mizzou's emphasis on drawing charging fouls.
By its own count, Mizzou has earned more than 50 charging calls this season. The one drawn by Steve Moore on A&M's David Loubeau with 1:07 probably looked different to each bench and each team's fans. Replays suggest Moore was knocked over with less-than-hurricane force.
Moore embodies Haith's idea of "first to the floor" going after loose balls, but he appeared eager in this context, too.
"Well, I didn't know David could knock down a 6-9, 300-pound guy," said A&M coach Billy Kennedy, exaggerating a little about the 267-pound Moore.
Then again, MU has worked to cultivate the technique and perhaps a reputation for it. But it's what the referee perceives that matters.
"At least from my viewpoint it looked like a charge, but I'm all the way across the court," Haith said. "Those plays are bang-bang plays. … Those plays can go either way, and Steve did a nice job of putting his chest in there and taking it."
How pivotal it was also might be a matter of opinion.
When Kennedy was asked why he tried a zone earlier in the half, he said, "We couldn't guard them man-to-man. So we tried a zone, but that didn't work, either."
MU's Marcus Denmon reaffirmed A&M's inability to guard MU with the 3-pointer he hit with 34.4 seconds left to make it 68-60, putting the game away.
Still, Kennedy said, "We would have had a chance, but that call went the other way. We didn't get that break. And it pretty much took the chance away from us."
MU, meanwhile, keeps making its own breaks.
With forward Ricardo Ratliffe (four points) sputtering and being yanked in and out of the lineup, MU needed more from its guards. It got it with English, Michael Dixon (15), Denmon (14) and Pressey (13) combining for 63 points and scoring all of MU's second-half points.
"Ricardo's a valuable guy, and he just didn't have his night tonight," Haith said.
The Tigers played much of the second half with only six players. Senior guard Matt Pressey went out with 13:06 left nursing an ankle injury and did not return.
But Haith said he expects him back for KSU.
"He tweaked his ankle, but I think he'll be fine," Haith said.
All seemed fine for Mizzou when a Moore dunk sparked a 7-0 MU run to end the first half and give the Tigers a 31-24 edge.
But the Tigers, who led A&M 42-23 at half in their 70-51 win in Columbia, had a hard time ditching the Aggies, and A&M closed the gap to 34-32 on a 6-0 run.
Mizzou took its first double-digit lead with a 12-4 burst, and a pair of Dixon buckets made it 56-43 with just under 8 minutes left before A&M rallied.
A&M was without guard Dash Harris for a seventh straight game with a foot injury.
