Missouri

GLENDALE, Ariz. - A career night by J.T. Tiller put Missouri one win away from its first trip to the Final Four. Memphis's 27-game winning streak, meanwhile, is history. Tiller scored a career-high 23 points - 15 more than his season average - and Missouri held off Memphis's frantic rally for a 102-91 win last night in the semifinals of the West Regional. Third-seeded Missouri led by 24 points four minutes into the second half, then saw Memphis close within 6 with 2:14 to play.

The same anesthetic that caused the overdose death of pop star Michael Jackson is now the drug of choice for executions in Missouri, causing a stir among critics who question how the state can guarantee a drug untested for lethal injection won't cause pain and suffering for the condemned. Last week the Missouri Department of Corrections announced it was switching from its longstanding three-drug method to use of a single drug, propofol. Missouri would be the first state ever to use propofol as an execution drug.

TROY, Ala. -- Jason Samples threw one touchdown pass and caught another, and offensive lineman Junior Louissaint scored on a 63-yard fumble recovery as Troy University upset No. 19 Missouri, 24-14, last night. The Trojans (2-0), a fourth-year Division 1-A program, overcame a poor start to beat the first Bowl Championship Series team to visit Troy. The fans stormed the field and pulled down a goal post as Missouri players trudged to the locker room. "We don't have to beat them 365 days," Trojans coach Larry Blakeney said.

Missouri House members approved legislation trimming taxes on businesses. The measure calls for gradually reducing by half the taxes businesses would owe when Missouri tax collections hit certain levels. Sponsoring House member Jerry Nolte, a Republican from Gladstone, says Kansas has lowered taxes on businesses and that Missouri must compete against its neighbors for jobs. He says lower taxes would help Missouri recruit businesses and encourage job growth. Opponents voiced concerns about being able to fund necessary programs while further cutting state revenue.

OMAHA, Neb. — Welcome to the NCAA tournament, Norfolk State. Might as well stick around a while. Kyle O'Quinn had 26 points and 14 rebounds, making several key plays in the closing minutes, and the gritty No. 15 seed Spartans held on through a tense final minute to topple second-seeded Missouri 86-84 on Friday in the West Regional. Pendarvis Williams and Chris McEachin each added 20 points for the MEAC champion Spartans (26-9), who made their first trip to the NCAA tournament a memorable one. They became the fifth No. 15 seed to beat a No. 2 and the first since fellow conference member...

Chase Daniel threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin in overtime and Missouri rallied to beat Northwestern , 30-23, last night in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. After the 25th-ranked Tigers scored on the opening possession of OT, their defense delivered, too. Missouri sacked a backpedaling C.J. Bacher, forcing a fumble that left Northwestern with fourth and goal from the 32. Bacher's desperation heave into the end zone was knocked down, and Daniel rushed off the sideline with his teammates to celebrate.

Missouri has taken another step toward leaving the Big 12 Conference and there is interest in the SEC in taking the Tigers. The governing curators at Missouri unanimously gave Chancellor Brady Deaton the authority yesterday to move the school out of the Big 12 if he decides that is in the school's best interest. Deaton, who had earlier been given the OK to explore options, gave no timeline for a decision but indicated that a move, if it happens, would not take much longer.

It was the best atmosphere that Kansas coach Bill Self could remember. Thomas Robinson said the Jayhawks rose to another level. Tyshawn Taylor simply smiled, shook his head in disbelief, and tried to describe his emotions. "I'm so proud of my teammates," he said finally. "They stuck it out, man. " In the final scheduled game between Kansas and Missouri, it was only fitting the two bitter adversaries would need five extra minutes to decide it. Robinson's 3-point play in the waning moments of regulation kept their 105-year-old rivalry alive, and Taylor's foul shots with 8.3...

Greyhound says it plans to discipline a bus driver who abandoned his bus and passengers in southeastern Missouri, about 100 miles from their destination. Passengers told KSDK ( http://on.ksdk.com/u81KuZ) that the bus was headed from Memphis to St. Louis on Interstate 55 Friday when the driver ordered a passenger off the bus near Sikeston. The driver then pulled over in Cape Girardeau, left and waited for someone to pick her up. Passengers called 911, and when police arrived they ordered the driver back on the bus. The driver complied but drove to nearby Charleston, and then left...

DENVER -- Rick Santorum catapulted back into the presidential limelight today, prevailing over his rivals in Missouri and Minnesota and running strongly in the very early returns in Colorado against frontrunner Mitt Romney. Shortly before 10 p.m., The Associated Press declared Santorum the winner in Missouri, a mostly symbolic victory because the primary was nonbinding. Nearly an hour later, the AP declared that Santorum had also won Minnesota. A jubilant Santorum told supporters in St. Charles, Missouri, that his resounding victories would be heard loud across the country.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Missouri House member who previously served in the Air Force announced Wednesday that he is gay and called on GOP leaders in the state Legislature to withdraw a bill that would limit discussion of sexual orientation in public schools. Representative Zachary Wyatt, a Republican and 27-year-old cattle farmer from the rural northern Missouri town of Novinger, said the legislation had motivated him to disclose his sexual orientation publicly for the first time.

State of the Union Topics: Campaign 2012 and the Democratic agenda. Upcoming Supreme Court cases. Religion in America. Guests: Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democratic National Committee chairwoman; Mark Penn, Democratic strategist; Linda DiVall, Republican strategist; Neal Katyal, former acting solicitor general; Ken Starr, former solicitor general; David Brody, Christian Broadcasting Network; Ralph Reed, Christian Coalition founder; Representative...

OKLAHOMA CITY - Heavy rain fell across parts of the nation's midsection Monday, forcing at least one motorist stranded in high water to call for help, while others braced for storms that could bring hail and tornadoes over the next few days. A tornado warning spanned part of Texas, and flood warnings extended from southeast Texas north through western Missouri. In Oklahoma City, firefighters responded to a call for a water rescue, but by the time they arrived, the people inside the stranded car had gotten out safely.

No big upset this time. Kenny Boynton and Florida were just too good for surprising Norfolk State. Boynton scored 20 points and the balanced Gators routed the 15th-seeded Spartans 84-50 on Sunday to reach the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. Norfolk State shook up the West Regional when it upset No. 2 seed Missouri 86-84 on Friday, and was trying to become the first 15 seed to reach the round of 16. Florida put a quick end to that idea, making five 3-pointers during a 25-0 run that made it 29-6 midway through the first half.

BOURBON, Mo. - The weekend killings of a woman and three children at a campground and resort in eastern Missouri was being investigated Sunday as a possible murder-suicide. Crawford County Sheriff Randy Martin told broadcast outlet KSDK that detectives think the shootings occurred Saturday morning in a remote area by a gravel road at Blue Springs Ranch & Resort, and that the bodies were there for hours when a guest found them at about 1 p.m. Each victim had one gunshot wound, and a handgun was found near the bodies, he said.

It was fun while it lasted for Norfolk State. Florida gave the 15th-seeded Spartans no hope of pulling another bracket-shaking upset in the NCAA tournament, taking control of Sunday's game early and coasting to an 84-50 victory. Kenny Boynton scored 20 points and the Gators, boosted by a 25-0 run, reached the regional semifinals for the second straight year. Norfolk State, coming off its 86-84 upset of No. 2 seed Missouri on Friday, was trying to become the first 15 seed to reach the round of 16. Florida put a quick end to that idea, making five...

Big changes are coming for the football programs at Missouri and North Carolina. Before they happen, there's one more football game to play. The Tigers and Tar Heels meet on Monday in the Independence Bowl, and both teams have become quite experienced at juggling questions about their long-term future with the upcoming matchup. Players and coaches are adamant the focus will be squarely on the field. "We're expecting to play our best game," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "And we expect North Carolina to play their best game.

Missouri sawmills will be getting a tax break. Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation Wednesday that reclassifies sawmills as agricultural instead of commercial property. The change could save them about $4 million annually in local property taxes. That’s because agricultural land is assessed at 12 percent of its productive value, compared with 32 percent of market value for commercial property. Supporters of the legislation hope it will provide an economic boost for Missouri’s timber industry, which is a leading employer in some rural communities.

TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. (AP) — Rick Santorum was mining suburban St. Louis for last minute support Saturday, as Missouri Republicans began gathering in local caucuses that will help determine who gets the state's 52 presidential delegates that are up for grabs. Santorum won the state's nonbinding primary last month and was the only one of the four Republican presidential candidates visiting caucus sites Saturday. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul also campaigned in Missouri earlier in the week.