Mizzou ends Braggin' skid

~ The Tigers ended their nine-year drought against Illinois with an 81-68 victory

ST. LOUIS -- Kim English scored 24 points while matching his career best with five 3-pointers, and Missouri hounded Illinois into a season-high 22 turnovers in an 81-68 victory that ended the Tigers' nine-year losing streak in the Braggin' Rights game on Wednesday night.

Freshman Michael Dixon had a season-best 16 points and five assists, and J.T. Tiller had 12 points, five assists and five rebounds for the Tigers (8-3), who have won three in a row. Missouri beat Illinois (8-4) in its last chance of the decade in the neutral-site holiday series, winning for the first time since 1999 before a raucous sellout crowd of 20,497 that included recent baseball Hall of Fame inductee Whitey Herzog and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon.

Mike Tisdale had 14 points and 13 rebounds for Illinois (8-4), which has lost two straight and is 1-4 on the road or at neutral sites. Mike Davis also had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Demitri McCamey scored the first seven points for the Illini, but finished with only 11. Illinois' previous turnover high was 16 against Boise State.

Missouri's Kim English, left, heads to the basket as Illinois' Mike Davis, right, defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Missouri was 10 for 25 from 3-point range, including English's 5-for-10 effort and Marcus Denmon's 2-for-4 in the second half. The Tigers led by 13 points several times in the second half, and Illinois shaved the deficit to six twice before the game got out of hand at the end.

Missouri's all-court pressure took a toll in the first half. Illinois committed 13 turnovers,.

Missouri took control with a 13-1 run near the end of the first half, with the last five points from reserve Miguel Paul, for a 41-29 cushion with 1:26 remaining. Illinois trailed 41-34 at halftime.

Missouri guard Zaire Taylor was not in the lineup due to flulike symptoms and played sparingly, with two assists and one rebound.