COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri men's basketball team had no answer for Kansas forward Gradey Dick in the first half of the Border Showdown Saturday as the Jayhawks cruised to a 95-67 victory over the Tigers.
Dick shot lights out against Mizzou in the first half with 15 points during a stretch in which KU made 11 straight shots.
"He comes out and acts like he's playing at Sunrise or Collegiate," Kansas head coach Bill Self said after the win. "His ball didn't hit the rim the first four-five shots, so he was great."
The forward's early success wasn't lost on Missouri head coach Dennis Gates.
"The first half, Gradey Dick. The second half, it was Jalen Wilson," Gates said.
Despite the double-digit defeat, Gates was pleased with how his team responded in the second half, noting he would like to see such effort throughout an entire game.
"So we have to do a better job of balancing, which I thought we did one half, but not the whole game with Dick," he said.
Though Dick cooled down in the second half, Self had high praise for the freshman.
"He played too many minutes, and that's why I think he didn't shoot as well late," Self said. "But he's a good freshman, he's a good basketball player."
Fellow forwards Jalen Wilson and KJ Adams Jr. provided reinforcement for the Jayhawks. Wilson finished with 24 points and Adams posted 19.
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