KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It seemed as if everybody was rooting against Missouri, the school that nearly brought the Big 12 to ruin, and you can be sure coach Frank Haith and the rest of the Tigers heard them.
They made sure to leave a lasting impression on their way to the SEC.
Kim English capped a phenomenal conference tournament with 19 points, Phil Pressey added 15 points and eight assists and the fifth-ranked Tigers beat No. 12 Baylor 90-75 on Saturday night to win their second championship in the past four years.
“Obviously, it’s special. To win championships is just special,” Haith said. “We didn’t win the regular-season championship, but we won a conference tournament championship.”
English wound up 29-of-40 from the field in a virtuoso performance in Kansas City and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Michael Dixon added 17 points for the Tigers (30-4), and Ricardo Ratliffe and Marcus Denmon finished with 15 each.
“Kim’s play was unbelievable all weekend,” Denmon said. “He really carried us.”
Perry Jones III led Baylor (27-7) with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Brady Heslip scored 14 and Deuce Bello came off the bench to add 13 for the Bears, who were again turned away one win short of their first conference tournament title since 1950.
The Bears also lost to Missouri in the 2009 Big 12 title game.
“The biggest thing we haven’t talked about is their experience, five seniors,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “They’ve been through situations like this.”
The two teams waged two memorable games during the regular season, Missouri coming out on top both times. The first was an 89-88 victory in Waco in January, when the Tigers made 10 free throws in the closing minute to hold off a furious rally. The second was a 15-point victory in Columbia, a game that was nip-and-tuck until the Tigers went on a second-half charge.
In this one, the teams traded blows throughout the first half — Denmon or English would knock down a 3-pointer, Jones or Quincy Miller would find a way to work inside for a matching basket. The lead never reached double figures even though Missouri threatened it a couple times.
It wasn’t until just before the half, when Denmon hit a jumper and Pressey made two foul shots, that Missouri had some breathing room.
