KU basketball vs. Missouri recap: Kansas wins 95-67 in rivalry game

COLUMBIA, Missouri — Kansas men’s basketball’s 2022-23 regular season continued Saturday with a rivalry matchup on the road against Missouri.

The No. 6 Jayhawks came in off of a 91-65 win at home against Seton Hall. The Tigers came in off of a 96-89 win at home against Southeast Missouri State. This was an incredibly significant game for both sides.

Did coach Bill Self's Kansas squad keep its winning streak alive? Did coach Dennis Gates’ Missouri squad remain undefeated? It was matchup of Big 12 Conference and Southeastern Conference programs.

Here’s what happened inside Mizzou Arena:

FINAL: Kansas 95, Missouri 67

Kansas leads 85-62 against Missouri with 3:54 left in 2nd half

Missouri's crowd, at least outside of its student section, may have just had enough. At a timeout with 3:54 left in the send half, and the Tigers trailing by 23 points, the largest contingent of fans are making their way away from their seats that this building has seen so far tonight. Kansas is about to coast to a victory, and with much less pushback from the Missouri faithful.

Kevin McCullar Jr. is up to 21 points for Kansas, thanks to a 14-point second half. His play has been key tonight, especially defensively. And this should give the Jayhawks a lot of momentum ahead of a game against Indiana next week.

Kansas leads 73-58 against Missouri with 7:35 left in 2nd half

The Tigers had some momentum, and had cut their deficit to 15 after trailing by as many as 26 points in the second half. But a foul called on a Missouri defender will send Jalen Wilson to the line for a couple free throws, and it's a call that seems to have taken a lot of the energy out of the building. Kansas leads 73-58 with 7:35 left in the second half.

Cam Martin has seen his first minutes of his Kansas career. The super-senior forward entered with 9:51 left and the Jayhawks leading 71-50. He had redshirted last season after transferring in, and then missed the start of this season due to injury.

Kansas leads 66-46 against Missouri with 12:13 left in 2nd half

With the Jayhawks up 20 points and there being about 12 minutes left, it'll be curious to see if or when Cam Martin and Zach Clemence enter the game. Neither have played yet for Kansas, which certainly has the room in this lead to go much deeper into its rotation. Martin, who's available for the first time after being hurt for the start of the season, would be playing for the first time in his time with the Jayhawks after transferring in ahead of last season and redshirting.

MJ Rice is another player who could get an extended run late. The freshman guard figures to be a key part of the rotation later on this season, but isn't quite yet. This could provide him with some valuable experience in a road environment.

Kansas leads 62-40 against Missouri with 15:53 left in 2nd half

The Tigers have a 12-5 advantage in offensive rebounds so far tonight, but are tied 4-4 in second chance points with the Jayhawks. It's not the only area where missed opportunities have hurt Missouri, but it's a key one right now in what is likely going to end up a loss against Kansas.

The turnover battle has been another area to look at, as the Jayhawks have turned it over nine times to the Tigers' 13. Kansas has 18 points off of turnovers, while Missouri has nine.

Kansas leads 57-33 against Missouri with 18:49 left in 2nd half

The Tigers are really struggling to start the second half. They've turned the ball over twice, and seen the Jayhawks go on a 7-0 run. Whatever chance Missouri might have had against Kansas here, it seems to be slipping further and further away as the Tigers take a timeout.

Gradey Dick, KJ Adams Jr. and Jalen Wilson are all in double figures scoring for the Jayhawks. There are no players in double figures scoring for the Tigers. There very well could be another Kansas player in double figures scoring before a Missouri players joins the group.

HALFTIME: Kansas 50, Missouri 33

Kansas leads 42-28 against Missouri with 3:24 left in 1st half

Missouri is showing some life, and its crowd is responding. After trailing by as many as 19 points, the Tigers are now down 14 with about three and a half minutes remaining before halftime. A solid run to end the half could give them the momentum they need to make a push in the second half.

The last time Missouri led was when it was up 4-2 early. Kansas has led for more than 14 minutes in this one. The Tigers have led for about 30 seconds.

Kansas leads 36-17 against Missouri with 8:17 left in 1st half

Just about everything is working for Kansas. The Jayhawks just had a possession where KJ Adams Jr. took the ball up the court. Adams dished it to Gradey Dick, who found Joseph Yesufu in the corner for a 3-pointer. Kansas is leading by 19 points with a little more than eight minutes left in the first half.

Kansas has by no means been perfect. It's allowed too many extra opportunities for Missouri, and been sloppy at times offensively. But the scoreboard certainly doesn't show that.

Kansas leads 28-16 against Missouri with 11:19 left in 1st half

Kansas forced a timeout by Missouri with 13:51 left in the 1st half with Gradey Dick reached 12 points, and put the Jayhawks up 14 points. He remains a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including a pair of 3s. It may be a sign of things to come tonight for the Tigers.

The main difference so far is Kansas is shooting 78.6% from the field so far, and Missouri is shooting 35.3% from the field. The Tigers are just 14.3% from behind the arc, which is weighing their mark down. The Jayhawks are shooting 75%.

Kansas leads 16-9 against Missouri with 15:27 left in 1st half

The Jayhawks seemed to have settled in quickly here, and lead by seven points with about 15 and a half minutes left in the first half. Kevin McCullar Jr. and Gradey Dick have both shot the ball well for Kansas so far, and have a combined nine points. Add in a quality start from KJ Adams Jr. inside, and it's easy to see why the Jayhawks are up 16-9 at this point.

Adams' start may have been the most impactful. The Jayhawks have been looking for someone to be more dominant inside. He's doing it early here.

The tip-off

Kansas didn't win the tip-off. So, it's Missouri ball to start.

Here are the starters

Tip-off is less than an hour away

Some previously injured Jayhawks may be playing today

The crowd is starting to arrive

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: KU basketball vs. Missouri: Live score updates from Kansas game