Tigers head to Oklahoma with share of Big 12 lead

Missouri guard Marcus Denmon celebrates following the Tigers' 74-71 win against Kansas on Saturday at Mizzou Arena.
Missouri guard Marcus Denmon celebrates following the Tigers' 74-71 win against Kansas on Saturday at Mizzou Arena.

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri's frantic comeback from eight points down in the final three minutes Saturday night to defeat Kansas did not just give the fourth-ranked Tigers a win against their archrival.

Believe it or not, it served a bigger purpose as the Tigers pulled into a three-way tie for first place in the Big 12 with Baylor and Kansas. Missouri can take a half-game lead in the conference with a win tonight at Oklahoma (6 p.m. ESPNU-TV).

Being atop the conference is rarefied air for the Tigers, as Missouri has never won a Big 12 title. The Tigers' last conference title came in 1994 when they went undefeated in conference play to win the old Big 8 Conference.

But as several Tigers said after Saturday's 74-71 victory, winning has become the norm around Columbia, and they want to keep it that way.

"We don't expect to come into games and lose," Missouri guard Kim English said. "We prepare to win. ... This game to us was just a game we needed to win to continue our quest to win the Big 12."