SB Nation St. Louis - Busch Braggin Rights 2011: Mizzou Leads Illinois Through First Halfhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49009/stl-fave.png2011-12-22T22:42:53-06:00http://stlouis.sbnation.com/rss/stream/24207302011-12-22T22:42:53-06:002011-12-22T22:42:53-06:00Illinois Vs. Missouri Final Score: Illini Comeback Falls Short, Tigers Win 78-74
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<p>The No. 8 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/missouri-tigers">Missouri Tigers</a> took a nice lead into halftime against the No. 24 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/illinois-fighting-illini">Illinois Fighting Illini</a>, but needed to withstand an impressive comeback to complete the 78-74 victory. Missouri got out to a 41-30 lead going into halftime and expanded that lead by a few in the second, but trailed going into the game's final two minutes and needed a big run at the end of the game to hold on.</p>
<p>After leading 59-45 with about 12:25 remaining in the game, the Tigers allowed the Fighting Illini to go on a 17-3 run over the next seven minutes that would tie things up at 62. After a couple of minutes, three free throws from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99886/d-j-richardson">D.J. Richardson</a> put Illinois up 70-69 with just two minutes left in the game. Missouri would take things over from there, though, scoring 7 unanswered points on the way to victory.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123927/phil-pressey">Phil Pressey</a> led the way for Missouri with 20 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals, and Michael Dixon scored 18 points and made the final free throws that effectively put the game away. Ricardo Ratliff added 14 points and 5 rebounds as the key player down-low.</p>
<p>Illinois got strong performances from guards <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99887/brandon-paul" class="sbn-auto-link">Brandon Paul</a> and Joseph Bertand, as well as center <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123688/meyers-leonard" class="sbn-auto-link">Meyers Leonard</a>, but didn't have enough in the final couple minutes. Paul and Betrand shouldered the scoring burden with 19 points apiece, with Bertrand going a perfect 9-for-9 shooting from the field. Leonard added 14 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.</p>
<p><i>For more, stay tuned to <a href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com"><b>SB Nation St. Louis</b></a>. To keep tabs on Missouri, check out <a href="http://www.rockmnation.com/"><b>Rock M Nation</b></a>, SB Nation's Missouri Tigers blog.</i></p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/2011/12/22/2656842/illinois-vs-missouri-final-score-recap-ncaa-basketball-2011Satchel Price2011-12-22T21:26:09-06:002011-12-22T21:26:09-06:00Missouri Basketball Commercials Remind You: If You Want To Be Sheryl Crow, Come To Columbia
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<p>Mizzou basketball fans, Braggin' Rights aficionados, and soakers-up of the sun: Did you know that Sheryl Crow was an alumnus of the University of Missouri-Columbia? If you didn't, have you ever seen a University of Missouri commercial, or been in Columbia? </p>↵<p>As a graduate of that fine institution myself I—along with my fellow grads at <a href="http://www.spreegoogs.com" target="_blank">SpreeGoogs</a>—have often been a little skeptical about the school's reliance on this angle in its advertising, particularly during sporting events but also just in general; if you ask someone about Mizzou, even when you're <i>on Mizzou's campus</i>, the first thing you'll hear is, "Oh! Brad Pitt grad—well, he went here—Sheryl Crow graduated from here!" </p>↵<p>It's a little infuriating, especially if you wanna do some things other than have fun. I often had the feeling that I was the only one. But then it hit me: It's true that if you want to be Sheryl Crow, <i>the actual</i> Sheryl Crow, it's verifiably true that there's no place that's going to prepare you better for that than Mizzou. There's no place that'll prepare you for Mr. Ripley-ing Sheryl Crow any <i>worse</i>, either, but sometimes with advertisements just going the unfalsifiable route is its own reward. </p>↵
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/2011/12/22/2656724/missouri-sheryl-crowl-alumniDan Moore2011-12-22T21:15:33-06:002011-12-22T21:15:33-06:00Missouri Vs. Illinois Update: Braggin' Rights Go To Mizzou By 41-30 Score At Halftime
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<p>Mike Dixon and the undefeated Missouri Tigers have a bead on their share of Braggin’ Rights Thursday night—they lead the Fighting Illini by a score of 41-30 at halftime of the annual Busch-sponsored rivalry game in St. Louis. Dixon has 11—including eight from the free-throw line—to lead Mizzou, who comes into the game ranked ninth to Illinois’s 25th.</p>
<p>The story is pretty easy to tell thus far—the Tigers have shot better—14-28, to the Illini’s 13-35—converted on more three-pointers, taken four more free throws and made all of them, and otherwise outplayed Illinois everywhere there’s basketball to be played. Despite early foul trouble for Marcus Denmon, Flip Pressey, and Ricardo Ratliffe, Missouri shows every indication of continuing their winning ways in St. Louis as the second half begins.</p>
<p>Of course, Missouri sports has a history of playing against expectations, as they’ll tell you at <a href="http://www.rockmnation.com">Rock M Nation</a>. For more updates, follow along with fans there or at SB Nation’s Illinois blog, <a href="www.hailtotheorange.com"></a>Hail to the Orange, where the eponymous braggin’ rights will come into full effect depending on who pulls this one out.</p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/2011/12/22/2656718/mizzou-vs-illinois-update-braggin-rights-scoreDan Moore2011-12-22T08:00:04-06:002011-12-22T08:00:04-06:00Previewing the 2011 Busch Braggin' Rights
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<p>Tonight, thousands of people will descend on downtown Saint Louis to watch the University of Illinois take on the Missouri University in the annual Braggin' Rights match up. Most of these people went to neither of those schools. </p> <p>For many across the Midwest, the week before Christmas is among the most magical of the year. The halls have been decked, the egg nog spiked, and two beloved basketball teams go after it in the city of Saint Louis. The Busch Braggin' Rights (as important as any game whose title involves a dropped "g") has long been tradition-rich and competitive, with blue and orange jello shots at one party and 24oz camouflaged horse-cock cans of Busch heavy at another.</p>
<p>My group of friends holds an actual battle for the rights to drink Busch beer—only fans of the winning team are allowed to drink Busch for the next twelve months. (If you are caught breaking this rule, the fan with Rights is legally allowed to take the Busch from you and slam it down in your face). It's a wonderful time.</p>
<p>But as Illinois and Missouri get set to battle Thursday night at Scottrade Center (8:00 CST, ESPN2), it's important to remember that the annual Braggin' Rights is not just an excuse for Hoosiers in two different states to get black-out on Busch heavies, jager bombs,and jello shots—there is also a basketball game to be played. Many pundits are talking up what a fine match up this should be, as Missouri sits high in the rankings and undefeated while Illinois is ranked with a respectable 11-1 record. The Illini's record masks something important, however: They stink.<br><br>Using the resources from the genius that is <a href="http://kenpom.com/" target="_blank">Ken Pomeroy</a>, we can discover that Illinois is ranked 108th in the nation in Adjusted Offense (which showed in lackluster wins over Cornell, Illinois State, and St. Bonaventure, as well as the loss to UNLV.) While the Illini have played good defense (28th in the nation), they've also benefited from a tremendous amount of luck, as their pythag record sits at 79%.</p>
<p>The Illini's only true advantage over the Tigers is the monster that center Meyers Leonard is becoming. But UNLV provided an excellent game plan on how to neutralize the talented sophomore, as he became flustered and kicked out to the wing too quickly when double teamed by smaller, but faster, opponents. Odds are Frank Haith will look to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123930/ricardo-ratliffe" class="sbn-auto-link">Ricardo Ratliffe</a> and a rotating cast of guards to double up on Leonard.<br><br>Missouri, on the other hand, is dominant. While the Tigers strength of schedule is weaker than the Illini's (though not by much), their differential between Adjusted Offense and Adjusted Defense (+26.5) is substantially greater than the Illini's (+12.6.) Add in the fact that Bruce Weber teams generally freak out as soon as they see guards who are faster than their own and can press, and this has blowout written all over it. <br><br><b>Prediction: </b>Mizzou 82, Fighting Illini 58. Another year of Rights for the Tigers, another record setting night of Busch 2X4's drunk in Missouri.</p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/2011/12/22/2649709/busch-braggin-rights-2011-previewAlex Fritz