ANAHEIM, Calif., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Freshman Jimmy McKinney sparked a second-half rally with a pair of three-pointers and Arthur Johnson scored 26 points Saturday night as the 15th-ranked Missouri Tigers rallied for a 78-72 victory over Southern California in the John Wooden Classic.
Missouri (4-0) came back from an 11-point deficit in the second half, thanks chiefly to McKinney. The 6-3 guard missed parts of practice and the season opener due to a fractured frontal sinus, but has quickly made an impact.
McKinney's three-pointer with 14:22 left triggered a 12-2 run that cut the deficit to 56-54. Baskets by Desmon Farmer and Kostas Charissis restored a six-point cushion for USC (2-3).
Another three-pointer by McKinney began a 13-3 run as the Tigers established a 67-63 advantage with just over six minutes to go. Johnson scored on a pair of follow shots and Rickey Paulding's three-pointer capped the burst.
Paulding's three-pointer with 4:14 to go gave Missouri the lead for good at 70-69 and McKinney added a jumper 30 seconds later. The Tigers made five of six foul shots in the final 1:19 to seal the victory.
