ST. LOUIS—When you try to bill a game as a rivalry, it helps if both teams win a game every now and again. So the fact that Missouri broke a five-game losing streak and toppled Illinois 79-63 in the annual Braggin’ Rights Game certainly didn’t hurt this one.
“It feels good to hold up a trophy that big,” Jeremiah Tilmon said after a 16-point, 12-rebound performance in a game he didn’t know whether he’d play in until midway through pre-game warmups.
But somehow, this 38th edition of the Braggin’ Rights felt different long before the Tigers got to carry the ridiculously oversized trophy out for the first time since 2012.
Three of the five players who were introduced as starters for the Tigers in St. Louis had either signed with Illinois or actually played for the Illini. Javon Pickett got booed mildly (it probably would have been louder had Illinois fans realized he would score 16 points and be one of the biggest reasons Missouri would win). Tilmon got booed a little less mildly. Mark Smith, who became the first known player to suit up for both sides of this rivalry, was showered with emphatic derision from the half of the 16,397 clad in blue and orange.
Yeah, there’s some animosity here.
“Yeah, I heard them for sure,” Tilmon said of the boos with a smile that indicated he was surprised someone had to ask.
It took just 89 seconds for Mizzou’s Jordan Geist and Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmo to team up for a double technical foul. Things rarely got less heated for the final 38:31.
“I knew that it was gonna be that kind of game,” Illinois sophomore guard Trent Frazier said. “(With) them having three of our players.”
There was Mark Smith draining a three and bellowing in the direction of the Illinois bench as he went back down the floor. There was Frazier, countering from long distance and barking as he ran past the Missouri sideline. There were Tilmon and Samba Kane staring each other down nose to nose while Brad Underwood unleashed a tirade at the officials.
“I don’t understand what was the problem,” Tilmon said. “I was just chilling.”
Just chilling, letting Braggin’ Rights be Braggin’ Rights again.
"The first half of the game I started screaming for no reason. I just started screaming. I was overexcited,” Tilmon said. “Then when I made it down the court I was winded. I was like, damn, why did I do that?”
“I’ve always watched it from afar,” Martin said. “Now when you’re a part of it, you see the atmosphere, tremendous atmosphere. And I guess it is bigger than just a game.”
There have been plenty of games in this series that meant more. Eleven times since 2000 at least one of these teams has been ranked. Seven times they’ve both been ranked. Neither is quite where it wants to be right now. Missouri is hitting its stride at 8-3 after losing its best player before the season. Illinois is now 4-8 with its best win over UNLV. The attendance was down about 4,000 from a year ago.
But you couldn’t tell. Not on this night. Inside the Enterprise Center (I think that’s what they’re calling it these days), this felt like a big game. It felt like it used to feel. Cheers and boos at every whistle. Elation and despair with every basket.
“This game’s fun. This game’s what it should be about,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “You’ve got two programs that have tremendous history. When you get that you’re going to have passionate fans and passionate players.”
Missouri started this one out the way it’s started so many in the series’ recent past. The Tigers turned the ball over six times in the first 5:41. They trailed 12-4 and looked a little panicked. Illinois looked like it would do what it’s always done in this one: Limp in overmatched and march out hoisting the ridiculously oversized trophy. The Illini would win a game that, honestly, has just seemed more important to them in recent years.
But then a funny thing happened: Braggin’ Rights appeared to matter again to Mizzou.
Smith, who transferred to Missouri after starting in this game and scoring 11 points in a 70-64 Illinois win a year ago, drained his only triple and let the Illinois bench know it. Geist hit three-pointers on three consecutive possessions to stake Missouri to an early lead it would hold for most of the next 20 minutes. He let out a scream as Brad Underwood called timeout.
“It was great, the whole bench got up,” Pickett said. “Coach Nic (Nicodemus Christopher) was elbowing people.”
It was everything this game is supposed to be.
“College basketball needs more of these,” Underwood said.
Indeed. And Missouri fans could get used to a few more like tonight. A game that had been tense throughout turned into a Tiger celebration in the final couple of minutes in the midst of a 24-4 Missouri run that couldn’t be ruined even by a missed tomahawk dunk by Tilmon that might have blown the roof clean off the Missouri half of the building. Finally the Tigers could let all that emotion show.
“Just going out there trying not to scream,” Pickett said. “But at that point, all you can do is scream and jump up and down.”
The lights will sparkle a little brighter, the egg nog will taste a little sweeter, Christmas will be a little merrier in Missouri this year.
“Now that we’ve won it, I can be honest,” Martin said. “I had a miserable Christmas last year.”
Braggin’ Rights is fun again. That’s a hell of a present for all of us.
