Richard Roby, CU’s top scorer, is held to nine points by the Tigers.
With four players suspended Tuesday night, the Colorado Buffaloes needed a big night from leading scorer Richard Roby.
That didn’t happen.
Roby, who averages 16 points, scored nine against the Tigers.
Roby, a 6-foot-6 freshman guard, made 3-of-12 shots in 26 minutes. He grabbed five rebounds and had one assist, one turnover, one block and one steal. His off night was punctuated when he fouled out with 4 minutes, 12 seconds left.
Colorado has counted on Roby all year, but he couldn’t find the mark in Columbia as the Tigers defeated Colorado 63-54.
Roby, who was cut above his left eye by wayward elbow in the first half, was unavailable for comment after the game.
Roby’s teammate Andy Osborn said part of Roby’s problem was the lack of manpower. Because two of Colorado’s starters were out, Missouri was able to key on Roby and himself, Osborn said.
Fire-starter: There was little energy to be found in Mizzou Arena on Tuesday night. The fans were quiet. The players were sluggish.
So Missouri coach Quin Snyder turned to one man who could turn that all around, Brian Dailey.
MU fans got loud for the first time as Dailey entered the game against Colorado with 7:28 left the first half. He replaced Gardner after an errant pass sailed out of bounds.
This wasn’t the first time this season Snyder has put Dailey in to liven his team up a bit. It is a role that Dailey has come to embrace.
“Definitely, one thing I’ve learned from coach is that every minute on the court is a golden opportunity,” Dailey said. “Even for me a minute on the court of practice is a golden opportunity, so for a game it’s definitely even more than gold. It’s a platinum opportunity.”
Dailey saw time against Nebraska on Saturday and Baylor on Feb. 16. His presence didn’t have an immediate effect on the game this time, as the Buffaloes increased their lead to 18-13.
The crowd cheered every time he touched the ball. The crowd also booed when he was replaced by Jimmy McKinney with 5:15 remaining in the period.
“It just feels great to play,” Dailey said. “It feels great to be a crowd favorite, too.”
Dailey started the second half when the game began to turn around for the Tigers. He wasn’t solely a good-luck charm, either. He played solid defense and helped Missouri get hot on offense. The Tigers overcame a 24-18 halftime deficit and, with 6:11 left, built a commanding 48-37 lead.
“Brian knows who he is as a player,” Snyder said. “He knows that for him to be effective and for him to do something for the team that’s what he has got to be.”
Dailey played a career-high seven minutes, recording one assist, one rebound and one steal.
Tiger legends: During halftime, Gus Otto, Gary Filbert and John Kadlec were given a standing ovation for their recent induction to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
All three are former Missouri athletes but were inducted into the hall for their contributions after college as well their careers at Missouri. Otto was a linebacker for the Tigers from 1962 to 1964. He went on to have an eight-year career with the Raiders and participated in the 1967 Super Bowl.
Filbert is a former Missouri basketball player. He now has more than 30 years of coaching experience. He is also a former assistant to Norm Stewart. Filbert is, however, best known for his leadership of the Missouri Show-Me State Games.
Kadlec played football for the Tigers in the late 1940s and was an All-Conference selection in the 1950 season. In 1951 he joined Don Faurot’s staff as the freshman coach. He went on to continue coaching under Frank Boyles, Dan Devine and Al Onofrio. In 1995 Kadlec became a color commentator on the Tiger Radio Network.