ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kobe Brown set career highs with 31 points and eight assists, and D’Moi Hodge added 20 points to lead Missouri to a 93-71 victory over No. 16 Illinois in their annual neutral site contest Thursday night.
Brown’s 31 points were the most in school history against Illinois.
Illinois (8-4) has dropped two of three contests since upsetting then-No. 2 Texas on Dec. 6.
DeAndre Gholston added 15 points and Ronnie DeGray III had 10 for Missouri (11-1), which scored 33 points off 17 Illinois turnovers while the Illini managed 10 points off 10 Tigers turnovers.
Missouri scored the first six points. Illinois recovered to take a 12-10 lead, but that was the last lead of the night for the Illini.
Missouri then outscored Illinois 41-15 for the remainder of the first half.
The Tigers finished non-conference play with an 11-1 record under first-year coach Gates, with their only loss coming to No. 4 Kansas on Dec. 10.
Missouri hosts No. 19 Kentucky on Wednesday to open SEC play.