Missouri men's basketball team unable to catch Northwestern

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tre Demps and Bryant McIntosh scored 13 points apiece, and Northwestern survived after blowing most of a 20-point first-half lead for a 67-62 victory over Missouri on Tuesday night in the third-place game of the CBE Classic.

The Wildcats (4-1), who lost to ninth-ranked North Carolina in the semifinals, did not make a field goal for the final 5 minutes, 41 seconds as the Tigers made one final run.

Kevin Puryear's basket with 1:43 left got Missouri (2-3) within 65-59, and Scottie Lindsey's miss at the other end and two free throws by Wes Clark made things interesting. But after a Demps turnover, Puryear could only make the second of two free throws with 33.8 seconds left.

Demps made one of two at the other end to give Northwestern a 66-62 advantage, and Clark's 3-point try rattled out moments later, allowing the Wildcats to escape with the win.

Terrance Phillips had 16 points to lead Missouri. Puryear finished with 14.

The Wildcats threatened to turn the game into a rout in the first half, knocking down just about every shot they took from the perimeter. By the time Sanjay Lumpkin rattled in his 3-pointer with 7:45 remaining in the half, Northwestern had built a 31-11 advantage.

The Tigers' eventual comeback came in bits and pieces.

Puryear got things started with back-to-back baskets, and Ryan Rosburg contributed a couple of nice plays in the paint. Slowly, the Wildcats' lead began to erode, and four straight foul shots by Namon Wright to end the first half got Missouri within 38-24.

The Tigers kept coming out of the break, too. Phillips started to score in transition, the rest of the Tigers began getting to the basket for easy looks, and the lead was finally cut to 61-57 with 3:51 to go -- the closest the game had been since the opening minutes.

But while the Wildcats went cold from the field, they managed to create enough offense to get to the free-throw line, where they were able to eventually put the game away.

TIP-INS

Missouri: Clark finished 1 of 11 from the field. He was 2 of 9 in the semifinals. ... The Tigers only committed nine turnovers, but they shot just 5 of 18 from beyond the arc.

Northwestern: Demps scored 21 points against the Tar Heels. ... McIntosh fouled out with about 4 minutes left in the game. ... The Wildcats were 10 of 23 from beyond the arc.

UP NEXT

Missouri starts a three-game homestand against Arkansas State on Dec. 1.

Northwestern returns home to face New Orleans on Saturday.