COLLEGE STATION, Texas The play unfolded in a flash, like so many in basketball, and the referee who watched Missouri senior Steve Moore absorb some degree of contact and fall backward blew his whistle and made a decision:Charge!Just like that, Moore had made arguably the play of the game Saturday against Texas A&M, despite finishing with only two points and two rebounds off the bench. His timely charge swung momentum, preserved a five-point lead and set the stage for a cold-blooded three-pointer by senior Marcus Denmon that all but sealed a 71-62 road victory over the Aggies.A lot of stuff Steve does doesnt show up in the stats, Denmon said, repeating a phrase several Tigers have parroted all season long. But hes just as important as any of us for our team. It was huge.So was the way Missouri closed this one out. The Tigers lacked energy at times and didnt get much inside scoring senior forward Ricardo Ratliffe and Moore combined for six points but made up for it by shooting 56.1 percent from the field, getting timely defensive stops and making a handful of heads-up hustle plays (like Moores). It was, to be sure, just the latest example of the way the resilient Tigers have won games under new coach Frank Haith, who has led his team to a 12-2 record in Big 12 play.I thought we showed great poise there in the second half, Haith said.And make no mistake about it; this win in particular was a long time coming. It is the first in College Station by the senior class and the first at Texas A&M since 2001 for Missouri, which improved to 25-2 and tied the 1989-1990 team for the best start in school history.So it was quite fitting, really, that it was mostly those same seniors who took a leading role in exorcising their Aggieville demons against a team that they had failed to beat, even at home, prior to a 70-51 in over the Aggies at Mizzou Arena on Jan. 16.They always wanted to beat them because they went four years without winning here, said sophomore point guard Phil Pressey, who finished with 13 points. After beating them at our place, its just a cherry on top to beat them here.And lets just say Moore, Denmon and Kim English played like it. When Texas A&M cut Missouris seven-point halftime lead to 34-32 early in the second half, Denmon and English erupted by scoring Missouris next 14 points.Were the leaders, and we have to do what the team needs, said Denmon, who finished with 14 points. The seniors were clearly stepping up English finished with a game-high 21 points and made three critical 3-pointers but it was time for a junior, excitable sixth man Michael Dixon, to carry some water. With Missouri leading 48-38, Dixon who finished with 15 points scored 13 of his teams next 17 points to help Missouri extend its lead to 10 with 3 minutes, 13 seconds left. Our offense is an equal opportunity offense, English said. Thats the way Coach Haith designed it. The go-to guy is the open man and we just bank on those guys to make open shots.Texas A&M would not go away quietly in this one, however. The Aggies eventually cut their deficit to 65-60 and got a chance to make it a one-possession game after a Phil Pressey turnover with 1 minute, 17 seconds left.At that point, Texas A&M was riding a 5-0 run and had all the momentum, but it would not last. The Aggies delivered the ball to 6-foot-8, 235-pound senior forward David Loubeau, but was called for a charge when Missouris 6-foot-9, 267-pound big man set his feet, bent his knees slightly and fell backward at the contact, just like Haith stresses. The call set off a chorus of boos from the announced crowd of 11,818 at Reed Arena and enlivened Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy, who didnt think Loubeau initiated enough contact a foul to be called.Well, I didn't know David could knock down a 6-9, 300-pound guy, to be honest with you, said Kennedy, whose team dropped to 13-13 overall and 4-10 in Big 12 play. We've got to get those kind of breaks against a very good Missouri team.Haith said it looked like a charge, at least from his viewpoint.But Im all the way across the court, Haith said. You know, those are bang-bang plays and Steve is really good at moving his feet and getting in position to make those plays.It was a sentiment echoed by Denmon, who took advantage of the momentum swing by drilling a three-pointer with 35 seconds left and making three free throws the rest of the way to ice it. When people try to bully-spin, Denmon said of Moore, hes always there.It could go either way, just like any other call, Denmon continued. But today it was a charge, and it was a good play.

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Missouri gets first win at Texas A&M since 2001

By TEREZ A. PAYLOR

The Kansas City Star

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The play unfolded in a flash, like so many in basketball, and the referee — who watched Missouri senior Steve Moore absorb some degree of contact and fall backward — blew his whistle and made a decision:

Charge!

Just like that, Moore had made arguably the play of the game Saturday against Texas A&M, despite finishing with only two points and two rebounds off the bench. His timely charge swung momentum, preserved a five-point lead and set the stage for a cold-blooded three-pointer by senior Marcus Denmon that all but sealed a 71-62 road victory over the Aggies.

“A lot of stuff Steve does doesn’t show up in the stats,” Denmon said, repeating a phrase several Tigers have parroted all season long. “But he’s just as important as any of us for our team. It was huge.”

So was the way Missouri closed this one out. The Tigers lacked energy at times and didn’t get much inside scoring — senior forward Ricardo Ratliffe and Moore combined for six points — but made up for it by shooting 56.1 percent from the field, getting timely defensive stops and making a handful of heads-up hustle plays (like Moore’s).

It was, to be sure, just the latest example of the way the resilient Tigers have won games under new coach Frank Haith, who has led his team to a 12-2 record in Big 12 play.

“I thought we showed great poise there in the second half,” Haith said.

And make no mistake about it; this win in particular was a long time coming. It is the first in College Station by the senior class and the first at Texas A&M since 2001 for Missouri, which improved to 25-2 and tied the 1989-1990 team for the best start in school history.

So it was quite fitting, really, that it was mostly those same seniors who took a leading role in exorcising their Aggieville demons against a team that they had failed to beat, even at home, prior to a 70-51 in over the Aggies at Mizzou Arena on Jan. 16.

“They always wanted to beat them because they went four years without winning here,” said sophomore point guard Phil Pressey, who finished with 13 points. “After beating them at our place, it’s just a cherry on top to beat them here.”

And let’s just say Moore, Denmon and Kim English played like it. When Texas A&M cut Missouri’s seven-point halftime lead to 34-32 early in the second half, Denmon and English erupted by scoring Missouri’s next 14 points.

“We’re the leaders, and we have to do what the team needs,” said Denmon, who finished with 14 points.

The seniors were clearly stepping up — English finished with a game-high 21 points and made three critical 3-pointers — but it was time for a junior, excitable sixth man Michael Dixon, to carry some water.

With Missouri leading 48-38, Dixon — who finished with 15 points — scored 13 of his team’s next 17 points to help Missouri extend its lead to 10 with 3 minutes, 13 seconds left.

“Our offense is an equal opportunity offense,” English said. “That’s the way Coach Haith designed it. The go-to guy is the open man and we just bank on those guys to make open shots.”

Texas A&M would not go away quietly in this one, however. The Aggies eventually cut their deficit to 65-60 and got a chance to make it a one-possession game after a Phil Pressey turnover with 1 minute, 17 seconds left.

At that point, Texas A&M was riding a 5-0 run and had all the momentum, but it would not last. The Aggies delivered the ball to 6-foot-8, 235-pound senior forward David Loubeau, but was called for a charge when Missouri’s 6-foot-9, 267-pound big man set his feet, bent his knees slightly and fell backward at the contact, just like Haith stresses.

The call set off a chorus of boos from the announced crowd of 11,818 at Reed Arena and enlivened Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy, who didn’t think Loubeau initiated enough contact a foul to be called.

“Well, I didn't know David could knock down a 6-9, 300-pound guy, to be honest with you,” said Kennedy, whose team dropped to 13-13 overall and 4-10 in Big 12 play. “We've got to get those kind of breaks against a very good Missouri team.”

Haith said it looked like a charge, at least from his viewpoint.

“But I’m all the way across the court,” Haith said. “You know, those are bang-bang plays and Steve is really good at moving his feet and getting in position to make those plays.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Denmon, who took advantage of the momentum swing by drilling a three-pointer with 35 seconds left and making three free throws the rest of the way to ice it.

“When people try to bully-spin,” Denmon said of Moore, “he’s always there.

“It could go either way, just like any other call,” Denmon continued. “But today it was a charge, and it was a good play.”