Muleskinner

Issue date: 1/19/06 Section: Sports

Words can't describe the feelings I felt as I walked out of Mizzou Arena Monday. I can't even begin to clearly paint the picture of the scene on Norm Stewart Court as overtime expired in the Missouri-Kansas Border War.

It was a beautiful sight. As the game clock wound down to 0:00, every student in the student section crammed together like sardines in a can. When the final buzzer sounded, they rushed the court in harmony.

That ended one of the greatest college basketball games I've ever witnessed. The Tigers defeated the hated Jayhawks, or "Chickenhawks" as I prefer to call them, 89-86 after a comeback for the ages.

With a little more than one minute remaining, many Tiger fans headed for the exits as they saw Mizzou trail by nine, but I bet they are kicking themselves now.

I'm sure someone was heading toward the highway and started beating their head against the steering wheel and using words I can't use in this column. But for those who stayed in their seats and didn't reach for the remote at home, the Tigers gave them something to remember.

That's more like it

It wasn't Thomas Gardner's 40 points or Christian Moody's two boneheaded free throws which captivated my attention. It was the enduring presence of great coaching and team chemistry not seen from a Missouri team since the days of Norm Stewart and Kim Anderson.

For once, the Tigers didn't give up hope. They didn't forget what they were playing for. They didn't let the memory of an embarrassing loss to Illinois haunt them. They didn't let their fans leave unfulfilled, and they didn't let their Big 12 hopes fade.

No, this team showed character. Sure, Gardner's 40 didn't hurt, and Moody's spectacular clanks did make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but there was more to this one.

At the beginning of the season, I was on the 'get rid of Quin Snyder' bandwagon. I hadn't seen anything the last couple seasons that warranted another year of his signal calling.

Game changer

This game changed my mind. Snyder coached like a man against Kansas Monday. He was not to be outdone by his counterpart Bill Self, and that's saying something.

Snyder called timeouts at opportune times. He made substitutions when they needed to be made. But the biggest obstacle he conquered was not letting his team quit.

Down by nine with little more than a minute to play, it would have been easy for Snyder to quit coaching and in turn let his team quit playing. But he didn't let that happen, and I know Norm Stewart had to be proud.

The Tigers gelled at the right times against the Jayhawks and really dug down deep to find what they have lacked the past couple of years-trust. They played together and showed trust in each other.

By witnessing this game, I also gained trust. Trust in the Tigers and Snyder. They did what they needed to do for a tough victory, and for that I commemorate them.

For the longest time, the Tigers have given their fans reason to mope, but for once, they have given their fans reason for hope.

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