 | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
|
Game Highlights | By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy was looking for a follow-up win to Thursday's victory at nationally-ranked Vanderbilt and to add to Auburn's SEC winning streak. Missouri ended that dream early Sunday afternoon.
Missouri streaked to a 28-point halftime lead, finished with a game-sapping 12 3-pointers and beat the Tigers 68-58 in Auburn Arena. Auburn cut the lead to seven late before the teams traded free throws in the final minute.
"It was definitely a horrible job in the first half," said Williams-Flournoy. "You can't get down by 28 points and even give yourself a chance to win the basketball game."
Auburn was looking to build on consecutive wins over Arkansas, Mississippi State and especially Vanderbilt. Instead, the Tigers fell to 14-11 overall and 5-7 in the SEC with a road game at Tennessee next Thursday. Missouri improved to 15-10 overall and 4-8 in the league.
"I told them you can't win big at Vandy and lose at home to Missouri. That looks bad right there," Williams-Flournoy said.
Tyrese Tanner said she didn't believe the Tigers were flat after beating Vandy for the first time in 14 years.
"I don't think we were, but it looked like it," she said.
How bad was it?
"It was bad as it could be," Williams-Flournoy said.
It wasn't the kind of show Auburn was looking for, not with the Tigers' three Final Four teams from the 1988, '89 and '90 seasons being honored at halftime.
Missouri had more 3-pointers at the half (eight of them) than Auburn had field goals (only six). Missouri added four 3-pointers in the second half on a day in which the team fired up 26 long-range shots.
"That's what the whole scouting report was," Williams-Flournoy said.
"Those are the same shots we missed in other games," said Missouri coach Robin Pingeton.
Tanner rebounded from a scoreless first half to finish with a team-high 22 points. Tra'Cee Tanner added 15 points.
Morgan Eye hit six 3-pointers and led Missouri with 21.
Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine