Missouri and Utah battled all afternoon. For every run Missouri tried to make, Utah had an answer, and for every run the Utes made, the Tigers had an answer, too. But when push came to shove, the Tigers had one final trump card, Kobe Brown.
Despite having just 4 points in the first half — foul trouble led to decreased minutes — Brown took over for the Tigers in the second half. With Utah missing their 7-foot starting center, Branden Carlson, Brown made his living in the paint. The Carlson-less Utes turned to fouling Brown, but his 11-13 mark from the charity stripe made him virtually unguardable.