Missouri fends off pesky foe

~ The Tigers took care of Savannah State in the second half

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri coach Mike Anderson never has placed much emphasis on style points.

That was a good thing on a snowy Wednesday night, as Anderson's Tigers fought to a sloppy 74-45 victory over Savannah State to extend their winning streak to seven and finish nonconference play on a victorious note.

Leading by just three at halftime, Missouri's shooters came to life in the second half with a 14-0 run over a six minute, 5 second span, and the Tigers used their trademark aggressive defense to put away the scrappy visitors.

"I think the wear and tear got to them," Missouri guard Marcus Denmon said. "You could see in the second half our style of play started to take effect."

Missouri's Zaire Taylor, left, and Savannah State's Arnold Louis battle for a rebound during the first half Wednesday in Columbia, Mo. (L.G. PATTERSON ~ Associated Press)

Kim English led the way for Missouri, scoring 13 points. Justin Safford and Denmon had 12 apiece.

Denmon continued his recent strong play, reaching double figures for the fourth consecutive game and the ninth time this season. Last season he scored in double figures just nine times in 38 games.

"I think he's playing outstanding basketball," Anderson said. "And it's not necessarily just his scoring. He's doing some other things."

Eight of Denmon's 12 points came in the second half after Missouri had struggled mightily before intermission. Savannah State made the 3,394 Missouri fans who went out in the snowy weather squirm during that first half as Missouri clung to a 28-25 lead at the break.

"I thought maybe the weather had something to do with us in that first half," Anderson said. "We were pretty cold."

Freshman Michael Dixon carried the Tigers through that first half, providing the only highlights. Twice he was fouled hard in the lane, and twice he made the shot and the free throw. He finished with 10 points.

"He doesn't play like a freshman," Anderson said. "That was very evident tonight."

Savannah State was led by Patrick Hardy's career-high 14 points, all but two from behind the 3-point line. But while Hardy was 4 of 6 from behind the arc, no teammate hit a 3-pointer.

Savannah State coach Horace Broadnax agreed with Denmon about his team getting worn down by Missouri's relentless style.

"They wanted to wear us out, and we got worn out," Broadnax said. "They were just physically stronger than us. Their cardiovascular training was superior, and it showed."

Since joining Division I before the 2002-03 season, Savannah State is 0-37 against schools from the BCS conferences.