Missouri took the lead early and fought all game long to try and pull an upset in Historic Memorial Coliseum, but it was a Kentucky kill shot to start the 4th that ended things once and for all.
The Tigers would score first, and the game would go back and forth for much of the first period. The Tigers would use small scoring bursts to pull ahead before Kentucky would reel them back in with consistent pressure. Missouri had an 11-8 lead before Kentucky scored four straight. Then over the back half of the first quarter, the Cats would double up the Tigers to take a 24-17 lead into the 2nd.