Missouri sends Illinois to season's first loss

Laurence Bowers had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 12 Missouri over No. 10 Illinois 82-73 in the annual Braggin' Rights game on Saturday.

Alex Oriakhi added 13 points and 14 rebounds as Missouri (10-1) won its fourth straight in the 32-year-old series. Jabari Brown had 18 points and Phil Pressey handed out 11 assists.

Brandon Paul led Illinois (12-1) with 23 points. Tyler Griffey scored 14, Joseph Bertrand had 13 and Nnanna Egwu 12 for the Illini.

Missouri used a 9-0 run late in the game to take the lead for good at 70-64. Brown led the spurt with four points.

The Tigers held a 58-35 edge on the boards and outscored Illinois 44-24 in the paint.

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FINAL: Laurence Bowers scored 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds and handed out four assists to help No. 12 Missouri past No. 10 Illinois 82-73 on Saturday at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Both Bowers and Alex Oriakhi played well for Missouri (10-1). Bowers made 10-of-19 shots from the floor, while Oriakhi had 13 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and went 5-of-9 from the field. The Tigers and Illinois (12-1) traded leads throughout the game, as the contest featured 19 lead changes. Brandon Paul contributed 23 points, yanked down eight rebounds, and dished out five assists for the Fighting Illini in the loss. Tyler Griffey had a quality shooting game, nailing 5-of-8 shots from the field and scoring 14 points.

HALFTIME: Laurence Bowers scored 15 points and grabbed four rebounds and Alex Oriakhi chipped in eight points and eight rebounds as No. 12 Missouri leads No. 10 Illinois 41-35 at the half. Neither team has been able to take control of the game thus far, as the lead has traded hands 13 times in the first half. Brandon Paul is putting together a nice game so far for Illinois, with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists.