KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When the University of Missouri men’s basketball team plays the University of Kansas men’s basketball team on Saturday, it will mark the first time in 3,577 days that the two universities meet on the hardwood in a game that counts.
The Jayhawks and Tigers played at the then-Sprint Center for an exhibition game in 2017 to raise money for hurricane relief. KU won 93-87.
But when Mizzou heads to Lawrence on Saturday to face eighth-ranked Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, it will be the first regular-season or postseason meeting for the bitter rivals since Feb. 25, 2012.
The Tigers blew a 19-point lead in that game as the Jayhawks rallied to win 87-86 in an overtime thriller.
Fast forward nearly 10 years, the Border War will be renewed for the first time since MU left the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.
The game pits two teams trending in opposite directions this season.
Kansas (7-1) is on a three-game win streak after its lone loss of the season Dayton, while Missouri (5-4) has won two of its last three but has unsightly losses to the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Liberty University on its ledger.
Here’s a preview of the 268th meeting between the team KU leads the all-time series 172-95:
Missouri Tigers (5-4) at Kansas Jayhawks (7-1)
When (TV): 2:15 p.m. (ESPN)
| Offense | Missouri | Kansas |
| Total points | 599 | 676 |
| Points per game | 66.6 | 84.5 |
| Shooting | ||
| Field goals made-attempted | 218-531 | 259-500 |
| Field goal % | .411 | .518 |
| 3P FG made-attempted | 45-183 | 56-159 |
| 3P FG% | .246 | .352 |
| FT made-attempted | 118-168 | 102-150 |
| FT % | .702 | .680 |
| Rebounding | ||
| Total rebounds | 352 | 292 |
| Rebound per game | 39.1 | 36.5 |
| Rebound margin | +7.3 | +7.3 |
| Assists | ||
| Total assists | 107 | 139 |
| Assists per game | 11.9 | 17.4 |
| Turnovers | ||
| Total turnovers | 131 | 89 |
| Turnovers per game | 14.6 | 11.1 |
| Turnover margin | +0.5 | +3.8 |
| Steals | ||
| Total steals | 69 | 63 |
| Steals per game | 7.7 | 7.9 |
| Blocks | ||
| Total blocks | 34 | 33 |
| Blocks per game | 3.8 | 4.1 |
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