DePaul University Athletics
Men's Basketball Falls to Missouri 99-84
12/6/2000 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Missouri knew DePaul was a big team. Missouri outrebounded the Blue Demons anyway.
The Tigers tied a season-high with 20 offensive rebounds and beat DePaul 99-84 Wednesday night behind season-best scoring nights from three players.
"We got killed on the offensive rebounding," said DePaul coach Pat Kennedy. "I've never seen anything like that in my life."
DePaul's starting front line stands 6-foot-9, 6-9, and 6-7 and the Blue Demons have been outrebounding teams by 10 rebounds a game. Despite all that, Missouri won the rebounding battle 38 to 26, and grabbed 11 more offensive rebounds.
"We were excited to go up against a bigger lineup," said Missouri forward Kareem Rush. "When we outrebound a bigger team like that I think it says a lot about what we can be."
Freshman Arthur Johnson grabbed a career-best nine offensive rebounds and scored a career-high 16 points. Rush tied a career-high with 31 points to lead Missouri, and Clarence Gilbert had a season-high 26. Rush and Gilbert combined for 10-of-17 3-point shooting.
"The thing that was good about our shots is they were taken in the flow of the game," Missouri coach Quin Snyder said. "Clarence and Kareem know they have the green light to shoot, but the green light requires some responsibility on their part to still take good shots."
Missouri had its best scoring output of the season and shot 64 percent in the second half. DePaul shot 65 percent in the second half, and a season-best 57 percent for the game.
"That was a really well-played basketball game," Snyder said. "It was played at a really high level at both ends."
Bobby Simmons led DePaul with a season-high 25 points. Rashon Burno added a career-high 19 for the Blue Demons, with all but three of his points coming in the first half.
Burno scored nine points in the first five minutes and DePaul jumped out to a quick 16-6 lead.
Clarence Gilbert hit back-to-back 3s to make it 31-30 with 5:50 left in the half, giving Missouri a lead that it never gave up. The next time down the court, Rush hit another 3-pointer to make it 34-30.
"I think Kareem and I can make the shots when our team needs us," Gilbert said. "We like to be the shooters, we like our teammates to look for us."
DePaul hung close in the second half, getting as close as 64-61 with 10:16 left. Missouri then went on a 22-10 run over the next five minutes to secure the win.
"We went basket for basket and we should have stayed with them 'till the end," Kennedy said. "They played well especially in the last 10 minutes."
DePaul's leading scorer, Lance Williams was held to six points.
Johnson, a freshman, is averaging 13 points and 10.5 rebounds in two games as a starter. Rush, a sophomore, scored in double figures for the 24th straight game and has led Missouri in scoring in five of six games.
"I think we played a very, very good game," Snyder said. "Our best game is our style. We have to make people work against our halfcourt defense, and we need five guys on the boards. We need five guys in the paint scratching and clawing."