No. 23 Alabama used a pair of decisive runs to pull away from Missouri and earn a 90-64 victory Tuesday night.
Missouri fell to 14-7 overall and 4-4 in Southeastern Conference play, while the Crimson Tide improved to 14-6 and 4-3 against league opponents.
Sophomore T.O. Barrett led the Tigers with 13 points, while senior Mark Mitchell added 11 points. Both players also dished out four assists to pace Missouri. Senior Shawn Phillips Jr. finished with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
The teams were locked in a defensive battle early, trading stops through the first 10 minutes. Missouri forced Alabama into a 2-for-15 shooting stretch, while the Tigers endured a seven-shot drought of their own as the game was tied at 21.
Alabama seized control late in the first half with a 15-2 run to build a 36-23 advantage. The Crimson Tide carried a 42-29 lead into halftime.
Missouri cut the deficit to nine points early in the second half, but Alabama answered with another 15-2 surge. The Tide hit four 3-pointers during the run to stretch the lead from 55-44 to 70-46 and put the game out of reach.
Missouri shot 39.4 percent from the field, while Alabama finished at 41.9 percent. The difference came from long range and the free-throw line, where Alabama made 15 3-pointers and 23 free throws. Missouri connected on four shots from beyond the arc and went 8 of 12 at the line.
Missouri returns home Saturday to host Mississippi State at Mizzou Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
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