Mizzou survives first-round scare at Paradise Jam

Kevin Puryear led the Missouri Tigers with 17 points in their 55-52 win over Kennesaw State on Friday in the Paradise Jam tournament. (File photo from Associated Press)The Missouri basketball team survived a scare in the first round of the Paradise Jam and overcame another ugly offensive performance in a 55-52 win over Kennesaw State in the Virgin Islands.

Jordan Geist’s free throws with 1:42 left put the Tigers (2-1) in front for good, but it was a nerve-wracking final few possessions. Geist’s layup missed the rim on MU’s next series for a shot-clock violation, but the Owls (1-3) couldn’t get any closer. With 16 seconds left, Kennesaw State struggled to get the ball inbounds and MU’s Ronnie…