Mizzou ends three-game slide, defeats Coppin St.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Kareem Rush and Clarence Gilbert ended slumps that coincided with No. 17 Missouri's three-game losing streak, combining for 40 points in a 74-47 victory over Coppin State on Wednesday night.

Rush, a preseason All-American, shot 29 percent and Gilbert shot 23 percent during the losing streak that followed nine straight victories to open the season for Missouri (10-3). Against Coppin State, Rush had 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting and Gilbert had 17 points on 6-for-14 shooting.

Rush was 5-for-9 from 3-point range. Gilbert hit his first three shots, all 3-pointers. The duo averaged a combined 39.9 points over the first nine games and 24 over the last three.

Wesley Stokes had 11 assists in the Tigers' final tuneup before the start of the Big 12 season Saturday at home against Nebraska. One of the losses during the slump came at home against Iowa, but Missouri, which also got 10 points from Travon Bryant, has never lost two straight non-conference games at the 30-year-old Hearnes Center.

Travon Bryant added 11 points and Arthur Johnson had eight rebounds and nine points, including three alley-oop dunks, for Missouri, which shot 52 percent.

Larry Tucker had 15 points and Robert Smith added 11 for Coppin State (3-11), which has lost four straight and 10 of 11. Coach Fang Mitchell spent much of the first half yelling at Smith, a freshman point guard filling in while Rasheed Sims recovers from a broken foot.

Missouri outscored Coppin State 21-3 over the final 10 minutes of the first half, including two 3-pointers and a dunk by Rush, to take a 37-17 lead.

After Smith hit from the lane with 11:10 to go, Coppin State scored on only one of its last 15 possessions in the half, committing turnovers on five of the last seven. The Eagles also had three shot clock violations.

Missouri was shorthanded, with sixth man Rickey Paulding out due to the death of his grandmother. Backup forward Justin Gage has a strained right hip flexor and forward Jeffrey Ferguson is stuck in Canada with immigration problems.

The short bench didn't have an effect as Missouri committed only two fouls in the first half and four overall.