Dec. 30, 1997

20th-ranked Maryland Falls to Missouri

Laron Profit pulled down 10 rebounds. (File photo)

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Brian Grawer scored 15 points to lead five Missouri players in double figures as the Tigers beat No. 20 Maryland 83-79 Tuesday night.

Maryland had a chance to cut Missouri's lead to one point with under 30 seconds to play when Grawer, after a hard foul by Matt Kovarik, missed two free throws. But Rodney Elliot, who scored 13 points, missed a shot and Missouri's Tyron Lee hit two free throws to make it 82-77.

Kelly Thames, who finished with 14 points, added one more free throw for the Tigers (7-4).

Obinna Ekezie led the Terps (7-4) with 20 points.

Two seconds into the second half, Thames tied the game at 40-40 with a layup off the inbounds pass and neither led by more than seven points the rest of the game.

Laron Profit, who finished with 10 rebounds, gave Maryland its largest lead of the second half - 53-47 - with a layup with 14:01 to play. Missouri held its largest lead of the half when Jeff Hafer hit one of two free throws with just over a minute to play for a 79-72 lead.

The Tigers shot 50.9 percent from the field - the best any Maryland opponent has managed this year.

Maryland scored on its first five possessions and six of its first eight for a 14-4 lead on Profit's 3-pointer with 15:12 left. Missouri went on a 10-2 run and got within 16-14 on Grawer's 3-pointer with 12:47 left.

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