Columbia, Mo. ? Thomas Gardner left little doubt Sunday.

Gardner, a 6-foot-5 Missouri University sophomore, clearly was the best player on the Mizzou Arena floor who graduated from Portland, Ore., Jefferson High.

Gardner matched a career-high with 23 points to lead the Tigers to a 72-68 victory over Kansas University and its two Jefferson High products — seniors Aaron Miles and Michael Lee.

“I’m always motivated to play against them,” Gardner said. “I thought this would be my last time to play against them since they’re seniors, and I made my point.”

While Miles and Lee combined for 15 points — all by Miles — Gardner was playing way over his head. Only a 35 percent shooter — 24 percent from three-point range — Gardner made eight of 13 shots, including two of five three-pointers, and surpassed his 9.6 points-per-game scoring average by a bunch.

Gardner’s point production outweighed his lone negative, a game-high five turnovers.

Gardner wasn’t the only Tiger to match his career-high. Senior guard Jimmy McKinney, averaging only 6.7 points a game, made six of seven shots (including three three-pointers) and all six of his free-throw attempts for 21 points.

“There’s no secret Jimmy hasn’t had a great year,” MU coach Quin Snyder said. “Sometimes he wants it too badly, and he’s hanging on too tight. I told him I wanted to see him smile out there.”

McKinney, who had surrendered his point-guard duties to freshman Jason Horton this season, moved back to the point when Snyder announced before that game that Horton had been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules.

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“Coach Q has been telling me to just go out there and shoot the ball and have fun,” McKinney said. “That’s how I played today. I was just in an attack mode.”

At the same time, McKinney was credited with a team-high four assists.

“I think Jimmy played with a sense of freedom that he hasn’t had all year,” Snyder said.

Two years ago in Columbia, Kansas edged the Tigers on a late shot by Kirk Hinrich. Last year, the Jayhawks won in the old Hearnes Center on David Padgett’s late basket. But this time, Missouri turned the tables, hanging on to win even though KU had wiped out a 15-point lead and forged a 64-all tie with 31/2 minutes remaining.

“There have been times this year,” Snyder said, “when we have kind of capitulated, given into the frustrations and emotions, and we’ve learned from that.”

McKinney’s short jumper in the paint gave MU a 66-64 lead it never relinquished.

“Obviously, this was a great win for our club,” Snyder said, “in particular for the way that we did it.”

Defense, Snyder stressed, saved the day. Mizzou held the Jayhawks to 41.4 percent shooting. The Jayhawks missed 18 of 25 three-point attempts.

“We’ve talked all year about having a defensive identity,” Snyder said, “and I think that’s where we won the game.”

Missouri evened its record at 15-15. The Tigers wound up 7-9 in conference games and will meet Nebraska on Thursday in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament.