COLUMBIA, MO. • The game he’s played since he was 5 years old never has looked more difficult for Kevin Puryear the last couple months. Missouri’s leading scorer as a freshman three seasons ago has seen his role fluctuate over the years, but when the undermanned Tigers have needed him most lately he’s struggled like never before. Coming into his penultimate home game Saturday, the longest-tenured Tiger hadn’t scored in double figures in any Southeastern Conference game.
Shaking off two months of stagnant play, Puryear broke out of his funk with a season-high 18 points as the Tigers snapped their losing streak at four games with a 78-63 win over South Carolina.