SportsFullCircle

Lately the Missouri Tigers haven’t been the team to beat amongst the powerhouses in the Big 12. Though today they stand aside Oklahoma and Kansas, who will also be advancing to the Sweet 16. But don’t think that Missouri had any easy task today. They went up against a very talented team out of Marquette, who were looking to end the dreams of the Big 12 Champions.

Leo Lyons had different plans for his Tigers. Lyons scored 18 points for Mizzou, and made room for some other Tigers to put on a show for the fans in Boise. Missouri’s Kim English finished out the night with 17 points, and he went 3 for 6 from beyond the perimeter. Also, Tiger’s Demarre Carroll put in 15 points and 8 rebounds. The Tigers had a solid defense that didn’t allow any easy shots. Down to the wire, they did give up their lead, but Missouri sank in some free throws to secure the win.

But the Tigers weren’t able to stop Marquette’s Jerel McNeal from going off on Missouri, and finished out with 30 points. Marquette’s Wesley Matthews also put in 24 points, but simply wasn’t enough to make up for the rest of the team’s bad day. The Eagle’s shooting wasn’t as accurate as they would have liked it, but they managed to climb back after trailing 16. This effort still gave them a 83-79 loss, and was their 10th loss of the season.

This is the first time the Missouri Tigers have sniffed the Sweet 16 since 2002. Marquette will be heading home, and cool off after a very tough day. Missouri on the other hand, still has another day to live. The Tigers will face the Tigers of Memphis in the Sweet 16.