Even as ninth-ranked Mizzou clobbered each of its first 11 opponents by double digits, most of them by 25 or more, MU coach Frank Haith said last week he knew the true challenges were imminent.

Sure enough, the Tigers got about all they could handle on Thursday night at Scottrade Center before fending off Illinois' furious rally from 14 points down to take the lead late in the game. But the Tigers emerged with a 78-74 victory before a delirious crowd of 22,087.

With Phil Pressey and Michael Dixon sparking the victory with 18 points each, the Tigers improved to 12-0 for the first time in 30 years.

But more to the immediate point, they also won the "Braggin' Rights" game for the third straight year since losing nine in a row.

That 75-59 loss in 2008 suddenly seemed like a long time ago to senior Kim English, who was crying by the time he got in the locker room that night.

He vowed never again to be part of a loss to Illinois, at least in part because he recognized what the game means locally.

"Merry Christmas to everyone in Columbia, Kansas City, Brookfield, Dexter, Cape Girardeau, Liberty, St. Louis, Kirkwood, Higbee, Hallsville, Chillicothe, Marceline — anywhere you can think of," he said, finally adding Jefferson City.

The feverish atmosphere of roughly 50 percent MU fans and 50 percent Illinois fans was new to first-year Tigers coach Haith.

"I can't imagine there being anything else like it," said Haith, who was thrilled by the win but conscious of Mizzou breakdowns that allowed Illinois back into the game. "I thought we got a little out of character."

Still, MU regained its poise when it had to — after Illinois put the Tigers behind in the second half for the first time all season and led 70-68 with 2 minutes 1 second to go on three free throws by D.J. Richardson.

But Mizzou tied it on a Ricardo Ratliffe layup off a pass English said initially went off Ratliffe's rear end before Ratliffe found the handle.

"My heart stopped," English said, adding, "He willed that ball in the basket."

Then a steal by Ratliffe (14 points) led to English's 3-point play, and Illinois turned the ball over again to pave the way to Ratliffe making it 75-70 with a follow off his follow of a Marcus Denmon miss.

Ratliffe, though, missed the accompanying free throw and Illinois made it a one-possession game again on a Meyers Leonard tip with 44.6 seconds to go.

And it did the same on yet another basket by Joseph Bertrand (19 points) with 3.3 seconds to go in response to Pressey's layup.

Dixon then made one of two free throws to put it away for keeps on a night MU went 19 of 23 from the line, continuing a season-long trend that has them on pace to be the best free throw shooting team at MU as the record book chronicles back to 1954.

Pressey also had five assists and was at his blurring best in stoking the team a year after sitting out the game because of a hand injury.

Not that it was his first time breaking a sweat in the game.

"Last year, I cheered like I was playing," he joked.

Mizzou dominated much of the game after falling behind 7-2 and being on the verge of getting ditched.

That's when the Tigers pounced with a 17-2 rampage.

Pressey started it, and extended it, by zooming downcourt for a layup, then finding English with a behind-the-back pass after an Illini turnover and hitting Denmon for a 3 after Steve Moore blocked a Tyler Griffey shot.

After Illinois' fifth turnover in the first five minutes, this one on a five-second count, Dixon hit two free throws and Denmon added a 3 to make it 14-7.

A Richardson bucket stopped the 12-0 streak, but a Pressey jumper and English 3 gave the Tigers a 10-point lead amid a stretch of eight straight makes by MU.

The Tigers led 41-30 at the intermission, and Matt Pressey opened the second half with a 3 to give MU its biggest lead. Mizzou maintained a double-digit buffer most of the first 10 minutes of the half before Illinois maneuvered back into it with MU losing patience offensively and getting sloppy defensively.

After not putting more than four points in a row together all night, Illinois suddenly erupted for 11 straight to take a 62-61 lead on two free throws by Leonard with 7:01 left.

All of which, Haith said, gives Mizzou something to work on going forward after a night the Tigers handled the stress just well enough to win one of the most meaningful games of any MU season.