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COLUMBIA, MO (AP) -- Four days after hanging on to win at Oklahoma State, Missouri had the finishing touch.

The Tigers (17-3, 4-1 Big 12) have a 14-game winning streak at home after beating Texas Tech 97-86 yesterday, fighting off a handful of challenges at the end.

That was unlike the Oklahoma State game when they nearly squandered a 15-point cushion with 4:10 to play and mustered only six free throws the rest of the way.

Coach Mike Anderson says his players did a good job of maintaining a balancing act, remaining aggressive while recognizing that time was on their side.

Missouri is off to its best start in the Big 12 since 2001-02 heading into Wednesday's game at Kansas State.

Eight wins in the last nine games have helped the Tigers recapture part of the luster lost in a dispiriting holiday season loss to Illinois that ended a one-week appearance in the Top 25.

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