COLUMBIA, Mo. — John Calipari became the fifth Division I men’s basketball mentor to secure 900 victories on Saturday, as the No. 20 Arkansas squad triumphed over Missouri 88-84 after an extra period.
Meleek Thomas tallied 28 points and Trevon Brazile amassed 19 points along with nine rebounds for Arkansas (23-8, 13-5 Southeastern Conference), which competed without its promising rookie point guard, Darius Acuff Jr., who was absent from the game due to an unspecified physical setback.
Prior to this matchup, Acuff had been spearheading the SEC in both points scored and assists distributed, averaging 22 points and 6.2 dishes per contest.
Malique Ewin registered 17 points and nine rebounds, ultimately clinching the victory for the Razorbacks by sinking four consecutive free throws in the closing 12 seconds of the extended period.
Brazile, who spent his rookie year playing for Missouri, netted a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left in the extra period, establishing an 84-82 advantage for the Razorbacks.
For Missouri (20-11, 10-8), Mark Mitchell achieved a personal record of 32 points, while Shawn Phillips Jr. contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. The team has now suffered two consecutive defeats leading up to the conference tournament.
After the teams exchanged advantages seven times in the second half, Thomas converted one of two free throws with 32 seconds left in regular play, bringing the contest to a 74-all draw.
Mitchell sank a shot from close range with 14:25 remaining in the second half, allowing him to surpass the 1,000-point threshold across his two-year tenure with Missouri, achieved in 64 games.
With 16:42 left in the second half, Phillips executed a forceful dunk from an aerial pass delivered by Mitchell, propelling Missouri into a 45-44 advantage, marking their initial lead of the game.
A total of 42 victories for Calipari have been nullified by the NCAA. His Memphis squad from the 2007-08 season, which was defeated by Kansas in the championship final, was compelled to relinquish all 38 wins from that campaign after star player Derrick Rose’s SAT scores were disqualified. Furthermore, Calipari’s Final Four showing with UMass in 1996 was stricken from the record once it was ascertained that Minutemen standout Marcus Camby had received payments from two athletic representatives.
Subsequently, Arkansas is set to commence its participation in the SEC Tournament on Friday during the quarterfinals held in Nashville, whereas Missouri will compete on Thursday.