N.C. State’s Cat Barber has historic performance at Mizzou Arena

North Carolina State junior Cat Barber scored 33 points Saturday in pacing a 73-59 win against Missouri.

“It’s tough to guard a guy with a nice pull-up (jumper) and he’s always got the green light, so he’s kind of unpredictable,” Tigers sophomore Tramaine Isabell said.

It’s the second-most points any visiting player has scored at Mizzou Arena since the facility opened for the 2004-05 season and the most scoring by an opponent in a winning effort.

“He’s put this team on his back,” Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried said of Barber. “He’s done it every night for us. He’s made big shots. He leads by example. He’s the hardest-working guy in practice every single day.”

Texas’ J’Covan Brown scored 34 against MU on Jan. 14, 2012, but the Tigers prevailed 84-73 in that game.

It’s only the third time since Brown’s record-setting performance that an opposing player has reached 30 points at Mizzou Arena.

Oral Roberts’ Obi Emegano scored 30 in a 78-64 loss Nov. 19, 2014.

It also happened twice in Frank Haith’s final season when South Carolina’s Brenton Williams scored 32 in an 82-74 loss Jan. 25, 2014, and Tennessee’s Jordan McRae pumped in 31 in a 75-70 loss Feb. 15, 2014.

Barber entered the game ranked second in the ACC, averaging 21.1 points per game — a mark that jumped to 22.2. He scored a career-high 37 on Nov. 27 against Winthrop.

By the numbers

▪ 12: NC State’s second-half rebounding margin (25-13), including 11 offensive rebounds.

▪ 41.2: Free-throw percentage by Missouri in the second half, going seven of 17 from the line as a team.

▪ 87.0: Free-throw percentage by NC State in the second half, going 20 of 23 from the line as a team.

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 9:47 PM with the headline "N.C. State’s Cat Barber has historic performance at Mizzou Arena."