After sluggish start, 3-pointers carry Missouri past Austin Peay

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri's bombs-away approach to 3-point shooting once again paid off in a 94-79 win over Austin Peay on Sunday.

But it was the team's stepped-up defensive pressure that was the talk of the Tigers and coach Mike Anderson.

Missouri (9-3) started out sluggish in its return to the court after defeating rival Illinois four days earlier for the first time in a decade. The game was tied eight times and the lead changed 11 times before the Tigers pulled away with a 25-3 run over the final five minutes of the first half and the first three minutes of the second half.

Austin Peay scored 14 points inside in the first half, many on layups, with an undersized front court and no starter taller than 6-foot-8.

"We let them dictate the tempo at the beginning," said Kim English, who led the Tigers with 23 points. "So we just got it together and came out more aggressive."

Missouri connected on 10 of 19 shots from beyond the arc, including eight in the first half. English made half of his six 3-point attempts and Marcus Denmon, who tied a career-high with 17 points, shot 4 for 6 on 3-pointers. Both reached double figures in scoring in the first half.

Anderson eschewed the Tigers' typical full-court press for a zone defense that triggered the decisive run. The margin grew as large as 27 points midway through the second half.

"That's their game," Governors coach Dave Loos said. "They're counting on the fact that they are gonna have a flurry once or twice a game and beat you with that. We couldn't handle it."

Wes Channels led Austin Peay (8-6) with 23 points. Anthony Campbell added 15 points and seven rebounds while John Fraley scored 10 points with nine rebounds for the Ohio Valley Conference team.

Ten players scored for Missouri, with freshman guard Michael Dixon adding 12 points and four assists in his second straight start. J.T. Tiller had nine points and Laurence Bowers eight points. Senior Zaire Taylor, who continues to recover from a flulike illness, added six points and three rebounds off the bench.

Anderson said after the game he still considers Taylor a starter but continued to praise Dixon's unflappable play.

"He's got a chance to be a special player," Anderson said.

The Missouri coach acknowledged that his team took too long to put the lingering excitement from "Braggin' Rights" victory in St. Louis behind it.

"Our guys were feeling real good about themselves," he said. "Probably too good about themselves."

The game was the first of four straight nonconference home contests for Missouri before the start of Big 12 play against Kansas State on Jan. 9 at Mizzou Arena.