Denmon leads Missouri to Cancun basketball tourney title

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico -- Marcus Denmon had hoped to shed the sixth-man role he had filled so effectively in his first two seasons at Missouri.

But when the Tigers got off to a slow start in the first three games of the season, coach Mike Anderson decided to shuffle things, and that meant Denmon was back to being a reserve when they tipped off against La Salle on Wednesday night in the championship of the Cancun Challenge.

It seemed to suit Denmon just fine. The junior guard scored a season-high 21 points to lead No. 11 Missouri to an 83-71 victory over the Explorers at Aventura Spa Palace.

"It's not a role that I want to get back accustomed to," said Denmon, who was named the tournament's most valuable player. "I just want to do whatever I can do to help the team win."

Maybe it was just coincidence, but Denmon shot 7 for 12 from the floor while coming off the bench against La Salle after making only 3 of 13 shots in a starter's role in Tuesday's 72-62 semifinal victory over Wyoming. He made 5 of 7 3-point attempts, including one that capped a 14-2 run that pushed the Tigers from a one-point deficit to a 66-55 lead with eight minutes remaining.

La Salle never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Several of Missouri's newcomers were key during the decisive surge. Junior Matt Pressey started it with a 3-pointer that gave the Tigers (4-0) a 55-53 lead with 13:46 left.