COLLEGE BASKETBALL / NCAA POSTSEASON TOURNAMENTS : Missouri KOs Syracuse in OT

Guards Adrian Autry and Lawrence Moten carried Syracuse into overtime against Missouri on Thursday night, but their backs weren’t strong enough to overcome the Tigers’ balanced scoring and depth.

With reserve Paul O’Liney scoring five points in overtime, Missouri outlasted the Orangemen for a 98-88 victory in an NCAA West Regional semifinal at the Sports Arena.

Senior guard Melvin Booker and freshman forward Kelly Thames each scored 24 points to lead five players in double figures for Missouri (28-3), which reached the round of eight for the first time since 1976.

The Tigers, whose reserves outscored Syracuse’s, 21-4, had to withstand outstanding performances by Autry, who scored all 31 of his points after halftime, and Moten, who scored 29 points.

“We weren’t real sharp, and I’m not trying to take away anything from Syracuse,” Missouri Coach Norm Stewart said. “But there were a lot of things that we could do better. What this ballclub has is a lot of grit, and it found a way to win the game.”

Missouri struggled in the first half, making only 35% of its shots, but the Tigers went into the locker room with the score tied, 36-36, thanks to 12 turnovers by Syracuse (23-7).

At the start of the second half, Missouri played like a different team, attacking Syracuse’s zone defense instead of relying on outside shots as it had in the first half. With Booker scoring nine points and Thames eight, the Tigers appeared to have control of the game when they opened a 70-59 lead with 4:54 to play in regulation.

That’s when Autry and Moten pulled the Orangemen back into the game. In a span of 90 seconds, they combined for 10 points as Syracuse cut Missouri’s lead to 70-69 with 3:13 remaining.

“We had a (11-point) lead in the second half, and we did not handle that well,” Stewart said. “But, you’ve got to give (Syracuse) credit.”

Missouri responded with a rally of its own, outscoring the Orangemen, 7-2, to take a 77-71 lead with 1:18 left, but Autry answered with a three-pointer and three free throws to tie the score.

After Thames made two free throws for Missouri and Autry made a bank shot for Syracuse, Missouri survived a near steal by Syracuse’s Lucious Jackson and saw its chance to win the game in regulation end when Booker missed a five-foot shot with four seconds to play.

“We’ve been in tight games like this all year,” said Autry. “You’ve just got to dig deep down inside. For me, the biggest things that kept me going was that this could be my last game. I just found a little bit more energy.”

It wasn’t enough in overtime.

“We can’t be satisfied right now,” said Booker, who also had nine assists and three steals. “We can’t be until the season is over.”