SU 84, Missouri 62
Unlike the club’s other two games in Alaska, the title tilt saw the Orangemen fall behind early. Missouri built a seven-point margin during the opening half before Syracuse used a 15-8 streak to close out the half with a two-point lead. Damone Brown had nine of his 15 points during the run.
Preston Shumpert, who earned tournament MVP honors, exploded for 22 of his 28 points in the second half and Syracuse pulled away for the convincing victory. Kueth Duany played an important role with four first-half rebounds and seven second-half points. The Orangemen shot a blistering .576 from the field and made 12-of-13 from the foul line (.923) in the game’s last 20 minutes.
Shumpert posted his first double-double of the year, adding a career-high 11 rebounds to his 28 points. Brown contributed a game-high 12 boards, and Allen Griffin equaled his collegiate-best with 20 points.
