Missouri defeats Vanderbilt 67-64 for third straight home win

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points, including all 11 free throw attempts, as Missouri held off Vanderbilt 67-64 on Wednesday.

Earnest Ross added 16 points for the Tigers (19-7, 7-6 SEC), who survived an off-game from top scorer Jabari Brown in a matchup of schools tied for fifth place in the conference. Brown, held to nine points on 3 for 11 shooting, averaged 23.9 points the previous 10 games including 22 the first meeting at Vanderbilt last month.

Damian Jones had 19 points and seven rebounds for Vanderbilt (14-11, 6-7). Down eight points with just over two minutes to go, the Commodores shaved the deficit to two on Kyle Moats’ 3-pointer with 19.4 seconds to go.

Kyle Fuller’s bid to force overtime on a shot that drew iron from beyond midcourt came after the buzzer. Fuller made just one of 12 shots and had four points, eight below his average.

Missouri helped make the finish exciting by going 6 for 12 at the free throw line the final 1:31.

Clarkson scored nine points in the final six minutes, including three baskets in a 13-2 run that put the Tigers up 61-53.

Vanderbilt led 21-20 at the half with both teams shooting 33 percent and enduring lengthy dry spells. Missouri went nearly seven minutes without a point and Vanderbilt was scoreless more than 4 1/2 minutes before Jones’s tip-in to end the half for the lead.

The first-half scoring total was a season-worst by five points for Missouri. Vanderbilt’s season low was 19 points its last time out against Texas A&M.

A half-dozen football players, including quarterback Maty Mauk, signed autographs the hour before the game. Fans also got a chance to pose for photos with the Cotton Bowl trophy and two of the school’s Golden Girls cheerleader team.