Great start, great finish to MU-KU rivalry - rspencer86's Blog

rspencer86's Blog

Great start, great finish to MU-KU rivalry

Posted on February 10, 2009 at 12:24 PM.

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Let's flash back to January 2006. It was my freshman year here at Mizzou and the first time I ever experienced the Mizzou-Kansas basketball rivalry in person. Coach Quin Snyder and the rest of the Tigers had stormed back in the final two minutes � the many Kansas fans at Mizzou Arena started the Rock Chalk Jayhawk chant before being silenced � to tie the game at 77.

A foul with .4 seconds left in the game put Kansas' Christian Moody on the line for two shots to win the game. Moody clanked them both, due to the deafening roar that I and the other 15,000 Mizzou fans created and what Fran Fraschilla claimed was "the loudest I've heard an arena in 25 years." Mizzou went on to win that game 89-86 in what was one of my best sports memories ever.

Last night, in the final Mizzou-Kansas home basketball game I will witness as a student, Mizzou recovered from a 14-point halftime deficit to take a two point lead with 40 seconds to go. KU's Mario Little hits a heavily contested jumper to tie the game at 60 with 23 seconds left.

Mizzou's final shot went to Zaire Taylor, a kid from New Jersey who just last week sunk a layup and free throw that won the game on the road at Texas. Taylor raised up and fired a shot that looked like it had no chance of going in.

A funny thing happened, though. It went in. After a first half where Mizzou couldn't get anything to drop, they finally got things to bounce their way. 62-60 Mizzou.

Of course, this game, this rivalry won't get the pub it deserves. Hell, there wasn't even a game thread here at OS. I don't care, though. To me, this is one of the best rivalries in college basketball, and I began � and now have ended � my college career witnessing two of the most thrilling, entertaining, and satisfying games of my life.

Go Tigers.

Comments

# 1 bcruise @ Feb 10

I watched this one last night...outstanding game. I don't really consider myself a Mizzou fan, but since I live in the state I don't really have anyone better to root for (unless it's MO State, where I went to college for a few years).

Nice writeup rspencer!