COLUMBIA, Mo. - Senior guard Keith Shamburger (Los Angeles, Calif.) hit a go-ahead jumper with 10.9 seconds remaining to cap a 9-0 run as Mizzou men's basketball rallied to defeat Auburn, 63-61, on senior night Tuesday (March 3) at Mizzou Arena. Auburn led 61-54 with 3:04 left, but Mizzou scored the final nine points, four of which came from Shamburger as he hit the game-winning shot to match his season-high with 21 points. Coincidentally, the last time he scored 21 points was at Auburn back on January 10.
Joining Shamburger in double-figures scoring was the freshman duo of Montaque Gill-Caesar (Vaughn, Ontario) and Namon Wright (Los Angeles, Calif.), who each scored 10 points. Sophomore forward Johnathan Williams, III (Memphis, Tenn.) added nine points. Mizzou's defense was clutch in the last three minutes, forcing three Auburn turnovers in the final 3:04 as Mizzou went on the run. A steal by Gill-Caesar under Auburn's basket with 12 seconds led to Shamburger's game-winner.
The night belonged to Shamburger on his senior night. He led the Tigers in points (21), rebounds (six) and assists (four). His senior partner Keanau Post (Victoria, British Columbia) added six points in the win. The senior combo combined for 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting with 10 rebounds in the game.
Shamburger, on his senior night, opened the game on fire as he scored 11 of the Tigers' first 15 points, helping the team build a 15-12 lead at the under-12 timeout. Shamburger then rotated to the bench and Auburn made a run, scoring seven of the next 10 points to take a 19-18 lead. The Auburn advantage grew to as many three at 27-24, but Mizzou closed the half in a flurry, tying the game at 30-30 on a Wright layup with 18 seconds remaining in the half. Auburn missed four of its last five shots to close the opening frame.
Mizzou limited Auburn to 32.1-percent shooting in the first half, but the visiting Tigers outscored the home Tigers, 7-0, in second-chance points. Auburn also held and 8-1 advantage at the free-throw line in the first half; Auburn went to the line 1o times while Mizzou made just one trip. Mizzou made five 3-pointers in the opening frame.
The second half belonged to Auburn as it led by as many as eight points late in the second half. But Mizzou toughened up on the glass and on the defensive end to as it started to make a run. Auburn's Malcolm Canada made a layup with 3:04 remaining to put Auburn up 61-54.
Mizzou immediately countered with a 3-pointer by Williams, III, just 23 seconds later to cut the lead to just four. The score stayed that way until a pair of free throws from Shamburger with 1:58 remaining cut the lead to just two. Post then came up with a big steal on the defensive end which led to a layup by Wright to tie the game. That led to the last-minute heroics from Shamburger and Gill-Caesar on the team's final possession. Mizzou's defense then held, forcing a long, contested Auburn 3-pointer that missed the mark as time expired.
Mizzou will close the regular season Saturday at Mississippi State with a tip scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (CT). For all the latest on Mizzou Hoops, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the tem on twitter @MizzouHoops.