Marcus Denmon scored 28 points to held lead the Missouri Tigers to a 81-71 victory over Villanova in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Tigers took a commanding 42-29 lead at the half and cruised home in the second behind Denmon's sharp shooting.
Denmon, a 6-foot-3 guard, hit 10 of 16 shots including 6 of 10 from three-point-range. Ricardo Ratliffe logged a double-double finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Kim English finished with 15 points while Phil Pressey finished with eight points, 12 assists and three steals. Missouri connected on 42 percent of its shots and recorded an assist on 23 of its 28 field goals in the game.
Villanova was able to successfully cut into Missouri's lead in the second half but turned the ball over 15 times in the game. Maalik Wayns led the Wildcats with 14 points and eight assists. Darrun Hilliard added 13 points. Dominic Cheek added 12 points while Mouphtaou Yarou and JayVaughn Pinkston added 11 and 10 respectively.
For the latest news and notes on Missouri basketball, head over to Rock M Nation, and for a more in-depth look at Villanova, check out The Nova Blog.