ST. LOUIS—Missouri got a chance to brag again, this time about its nine-second knockout punch.Laurence Bowers made a four-point play with a layup and two free throws after an intentional foul with 40 seconds to go, fueling a huge final minute for the ninth-ranked Tigers in a 75-64 victory over No. 21 Illinois on Wednesday night.Missouri scored eight points in a nine-second span, breaking open a tie game to win the neutral-site ‘Braggin Rights” matchup for the second straight year.Marcus Denmon had 15 points and Bowers added 13 points and nine rebounds. Justin Safford had 11 points for the Tigers (11-1), who before last year had lost nine in a row to Illinois. Michael Dixon, a sophomore who was reinstated after a two-game suspension for violating team rules, had 10 points and six assists and played 31 minutes off the bench.Mike Davis had 17 points and eight rebounds for Illinois (10-3), which has dropped two straight after getting upset by UIC on Saturday. Mike Tisdale, who committed the intentional foul when he pushed Bowers from behind, had 13 rebounds and nine points.Davis scored only one point in the final 15 minutes.Denmon was wide open for a layup on the ensuing inbounds pass about one second later for a six-point swing. A swing that Illinois coach Bruce Weber complained was unjust.A free throw by Bowers after a technical by Weber made it 70-61 with 30.7 seconds to go.Illinois outrebounded Missouri 46-37 but missed too many close-in attempts and shot 38.6 percent overall.Bowers’ four-point play came only two seconds after Illinois’ D.J. Richardson’s 3-pointer off Dixon’s turnover tied it at 61. Denmon took the inbounds pass shy of midcourt and whipped it ahead to Bowers for a layup, and Tisdale was whistled for an intentional foul after putting both hands on Bowers’ back under the basket.Denmon missed his first five shots but his 3-pointer with 25 seconds to go in the half tied it at 27. Missouri scored the last seven points of the half and extended the run to 15-2 early in the second half, going ahead 35-29.Davis scored nine of the first 13 points for Illinois, which led by eight points with just over eight minutes to go. Illinois had 14 offensive rebounds in the half but shot just 30.8 percent. Missouri was a little bit better at 34.5 but with 10 fewer shots.