COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Men's Basketball dropped to 3-4 in Southeastern Conference play and 13-7 overall on Wednesday night, falling to No. 19 Auburn (18-2, 6-1) at home, 91-73. Though it was a tight game at the break (41-36), Auburn stretched its five-point lead in the second half, outscoring the Black & Gold 50-37. The Tigers battled resiliently, holding an 11-rebound advantage (41-30) in the setback.
Mizzou's two most veteran players both played well to keep the Tigers' offensive efforts flowing. Graduate senior guard Kassius Robertson (Toronto, Ontario) registered his sixth 20-point game of the season, going for 21, while senior forward Jordan Barnett (St. Louis, Mo.) posted 19 points while hitting five three-pointers, just one shy of matching his career-high.
TURNING POINT
After Mizzou used an 8-0 to cut the lead back down to just one point midway through the second half, Auburn responded with a 15-0 run to deaden the energy inside Mizzou Arena. Auburn guard Jared Harper played well down the stretch, scoring 18 of his 21 points in the second half while not missing a shot from the field.
TOP TIGERS
- Junior guard Jordan Geist (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and junior forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) joined Robertson and Barnett in double digits, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively.
- Freshman forward Jontay Porter (Columbia, Mo.) played another well-rounded game, scoring five points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing two assists, blocking one shot, and snatching two steals.
- Sophomore forward Reed Nikko (Maple Grove, Minn.) dominated the offensive glass, pulling down five offensive rebounds, matching his career-high.
UP NEXT
The Tigers head back out onto the road for the first of two consecutive games away from Mizzou Arena, traveling to Starkville, Mississippi, to take on Mississippi State this Saturday. The matchup tips at 7:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on SEC Network.
