Missouri 60, Colorado 53

2/23/2008 9:09 PM

By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -Keon Lawrence scored 16 points and Missouri got big contributions from its bench in a 60-53 victory over Colorado on Saturday night.

Marcus Hall had 17 points and Richard Roby 14 for Colorado (10-16, 2-10 Big 12), held without a free-throw attempt for the first time all season. The Buffaloes have lost nine of 10 and have lost 19 straight conference road games, including an 0-6 record this season.

Colorado was whistled for just 12 fouls and Missouri 11, with the Tigers going 4-for-9 from the line.

Reserve Leo Lyons had 10 rebounds and seven points for Missouri, which recovered after squandering all but two points of an 18-point cushion at 40-22 early in the second half. Colorado cut the gap to 50-48 when Roby scored from the baseline with 4:02 to go, but Missouri scored eight of the next 10 points.

Missouri (15-12, 5-7) swept the season series, erasing a 13-point second-half deficit in its first road victory of the season at Colorado on Jan. 26. Five players were handed disciplinary suspensions after a nightclub fight several hours after returning from the game.

Lawrence moved into the starting lineup after Stefhon Hannah, a central figure in the fight, was sidelined with a broken jaw. Hannah has since been dismissed from the team. Lawrence had only three points in 25 minutes in the first Colorado game.

Darryl Butterfield added eight points from the bench, Jason Horton and Marshall Brown had six each and Justin Safford five.

Colorado played a man short a day after sophomore guard Xavier Silas was dismissed from the team for undisclosed reasons. Silas was the third-leading scorer with a 9.7-point average and started most of the season, although he had been a reserve the previous five games.

Colorado led 10-2 after the first 5:17, getting four points each from Roby and Hall while holding Missouri to one basket in its first 10 shots, with four blocked shots by Marcus King-Stockton. The Tigers got big contributions from their bench the rest of the half, with Butterfield getting seven points and Marshall Brown six for a 32-20 lead. Butterfield totaled three points in his previous four games.

After missing its first four 3-pointers, Missouri hit six of its next eight. Lawrence had eight points in the final three minutes, including two 3-pointers, helping the Tigers overcome no points from leading scorer DeMarre Carroll.

Carroll, troubled much of the year with a sprained ankle, finished with two points for his fourth straight game below double figures.