FINAL Kentucky 72 @Mizzou 62

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Dave_Matter/status/834028464860721152

UK press guide claims Wildcats are 9-0 all-time against Mizzou so there is a discrepancy

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Dave_Matter/status/834295875459489792

Calipari: "There are teams letting go of the rope. Missouri—or as my father in law would say, Missour-uh—doesn't let go."

COLUMBIA, MO. • For one night, the magic returned to Mizzou Arena.

The house wasn't quite full Tuesday as sections were speckled with Kentucky blue, but during another capsized season with a postseason coaching change seemingly more inevitable by the week, Missouri recaptured the atmosphere, the energy, the fun of Tigers basketball for nearly 40 minutes.

But like so many times under Kim Anderson's watch, Mizzou's best wasn't good enough, not against No. 11 Kentucky and John Calipari's collection of future millionaires. With their 72-62 victory, the Wildcats stayed locked with Florida in a first-place tie in the Southeastern Conference, but on this night, nothing came easy for the boys in blue.

Intrigued by Mizzou's resolve the more he watched footage of recent games, Calipari came away more impressed seeing the Tigers in person.

"We got out alive," he said.

Looking more like the team that beat Arkansas and Vanderbilt earlier this month, the Tigers (7-20, 2-13 SEC) feasted on 17 Kentucky turnovers, answered big shots with bigger shots and attacked the rim like never before this year. But missed free throws proved costly, and when Mizzou's margin for error vanished late, Kentucky (23-5, 13-2) had more firepower. Derek Willis' alley-oop dunk put the Cats up 68-58 with 1:40 left, their first double-digit lead —