Columbia, Mo. ? Nobody’s perfect, you say?

Try telling that to Kansas University’s basketball players, who capped a one-for-the ages 16-0 run through the Big 12 Conference on Sunday by tripping rival Missouri, 95-92, at jam-packed Hearnes Center.

“We made history,” junior guard Kirk Hinrich said after scoring 25 points and grabbing nine rebounds, helping KU complete the school’s first undefeated conference season since 1970-71. “But more than that, I’m really just happy to get a win against Missouri.”

The victory proved especially sweet for the KU juniors, who were 0-2 at Hearnes entering Sunday’s game.

Remember, it’s Missouri that prevented the Jayhawks from going undefeated in the Big 12 in 1996-97 and 1997-98. In both of those years, KU was 15-1 in the league.

“Nobody goes undefeated nowadays. For us to go undefeated in one of the toughest conferences in the nation  it is something we can be proud of,” junior Nick Collison said after scoring a career-high 28 points off 9-of-12 shooting.

A 56-percent free-thrower entering the game, Collison hit 10 of 12 free throws, including nine of 10 the first half as KU led 54-45 at the break.

“There’s nothing wrong with my shot. It’s just a matter of concentration and confidence, and I had that today,” Collison said after admitting he’d played the best game of his career.

“I have put together some very good halves before. It’s definitely the best I’ve played in a big game. It feels good coming at Missouri with a lot of things going on.”

Collison, who had 17 points the first half to Hinrich’s 15, was No. 1-ranked KU’s biggest hero Sunday, hitting a pair of 17-footers down the stretch that subdued the unranked Tigers (20-10, 9-7).

His straight-on jumper with 2:44 left busted an 87-all tie and momentarily silenced an MU crowd crazed following a Clarence Gilbert three-pointer that had tied the score.

At 1:35, Collison swished another 17-footer to erase a 92-91 deficit. It proved to be the game-winning shot.

“They weren’t guarding me out there,” Collison said. “I just felt good out there and let it fly. It’s a shot I make every day in practice.”

It’s a shot KU coach Roy Williams watches Collison make every day at practice.

“Nick Collison was sensational. That little jumper  he shoots that shot every day in practice. Nick every day steps in there and makes it. Every time he shoots it I feel very confident it’s going in,” Williams said.

Drew Gooden, who had an off day with 15 points off 5-of-17 shooting and didn’t score from 9:44 in the first half until 6:29 remained, hit a stickback off a Hinrich miss at :27, giving KU some breathing room at 95-92.

Foul-plagued Jeff Boschee, who played just 15 minutes, plucked a steal with about 11 seconds left, but in taking the ball to the hole, missed a driving layup while guarded by Rickey Paulding. The ball flew out of bounds at :07, giving MU a final possession to try to tie.

“I thought we were in good shape when Boschee went in for the layup. I was hoping he’d dribble it off to the side,” Williams said. “Paulding made a fantastic play and gave Missouri a chance to win it at the end.”

KU had a mixup on MU’s final possession. Williams wanted the Jayhawks to foul Gilbert after Gilbert accepted an inbounds pass to send the senior guard to the free-throw line rather than risk a last-second three that could force overtime.

“We called an extra time out to foul,” Williams said. “Keith said he was trying to foul.”

But Gilbert managed to skate past Langford and throw up an off-balance three that banged off the backboard before the buzzer sounded.

“Nick Collison came up to help. It was a difficult shot. (But) I hated it was in Clarence’s hands,” Williams said.

Boschee later joked in the locker room that he should have fouled Gilbert, that the refs, who had called him for four quick fouls, would have obliged and given him No. 5.

“I thought I did foul him,” Langford said of Gilbert. “I was reaching in a couple of times. Nick stepped in to help on the shot. It’s why he (Gilbert) missed it off the backboard. After I didn’t foul, I wanted to make the shot as tough as possible for him.”

The Jayhawks, who led by as many as 11 points the second half, were seemingly in control with a 66-57 lead at 16:51.

However, KU went eight minutes without a basket as MU rallied and made it a game down the stretch.

Boschee busted KU’s 0-for-9 slump by hitting a three right after entering the game after a long stint on the bench, giving KU a 74-69 advantage. His defense also forced Gilbert into a double-dribble turnover with :58 left and KU up, 93-92.

“Jeff wasn’t very smart. We’d like to say it was a bad call or this or that, but Jeff wasn’t very smart,” Williams said. “You can’t play basketball or win big-time games with the leading three-point shooter in Kansas history sitting over there with me.

“But I put him in at the end of the game and he hit a big three for us when we needed some offense. We needed him in a game a lot longer than he was for us today.”

Of going unbeaten in the league, KU’s coach said: “We do feel good about that, but the same thing I said this week, that was not our goal. That was not what we were trying to do. We were trying to win the conference. Once it became 15-0 it did become our goal.

“I think it’s something you can be proud of a long, long time, but you have to congratulate Missouri. They played their tails off, made big-time plays and we were fortunate at the end.

“Nick and Kirk were big-time. Drew didn’t have his best game. Aaron (Miles) didn’t have his best game, but Nick and Kirk were just sensational.”

The Jayhawks will take a day or two off, Williams said, then gear for Friday’s noon battle at the Big 12 Tournament against the winner of Thursday’s Colorado-Nebraska game.