AUBURN, Ala. – Following Auburn's overtime win over Alabama on Wednesday night, head coach Bruce Pearl was adamant that the Tigers had to start playing better basketball.
"We are not going to keep winning these overtime games," Pearl said after the game.
This was the same Auburn team that had just won its seventh consecutive game, the same team that was leading the SEC at 9-2 in league play. But that current seven-game winning streak includes four overtime wins and while the Tigers have shown the kind of character and resiliency needed to win those types of games games, they just as easily could have gone the other way.
"For us, it's been an incredible run of close games," Pearl said Friday. "One of the things we've been saying with great consistency is if we don't get a little better – either offensively by shooting it better, having a better assist-to-turnover ratio, getting a little bit more locked down defensively as far our field-goal percentage or our 3-point field-goal percentage defense – then we're going to start losing some of these close games."
It will only become more imperative for Auburn to play better going forward if star freshman Isaac Okoro misses any time. Okoro, who has started every game this season, pulled his hamstring Wednesday night and is questionable for Saturday's tilt with Missouri.
"With Isaac, it was all we could to win in overtime (against Alabama)," Pearl said. "If he can't play, it will just challenge us in some other areas."
Auburn does expect to have senior Danjel Purifoy back for Saturday's game. Purifoy missed last weekend's win over LSU with the flu and was limited Wednesday night against Alabama.
Auburn (22-2, 9-2) and Missouri (11-13, 3-8) will tip off Saturday at 5 p.m. CT from Mizzou Arena in Columbia. Andy Burcham and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app. The game will also be televised on ESPN2 with Roy Philpott and Jon Sundvold on the call.
Player to watch: Jamal Johnson
Missouri defends the 3-ball about as well as anyone the country, ranking inside the top 30 in 3-point field goal percentage defense at .294. Enter Jamal Johnson. The redshirt sophomore has buried multiple shots from beyond the arc in eight games this season, including three that have come away from Auburn Arena. At 41.3 percent, Johnson is the team's best 3-point option.
Inside the series: Missouri
Auburn and Missouri are slated to meet for the 12th time in program history Saturday night. Auburn holds a slight edge at 6-5 in the all-time series, including winning five of the last six overall. Missouri is 3-2 in games played in the Show Me State, but Auburn has won the last two in 2017 and 2018.
Auburn won both matchups last season with a 92-58 victory inside Auburn before taking down Missouri 81-71 in the second round of the SEC Tournament. Auburn forced 34 turnovers and racked up 52 points off turnovers in the two matchups combined.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is 6-4 in his head coaching career against Missouri with all six victories coming while leading Auburn.
Road Warriors
The Tigers have won eight games away from Auburn Arena to this point in 2019-20. The eight wins are the most in the SEC away from home, ahead of Florida (7), Kentucky (7) and South Carolina (6).
Feed 50
Austin Wiley is as healthy as he's ever been and it's showing. The senior has scored in double figures in 15 of 24 games and has double-digit rebounds 11 times so far this season. Wiley ranks second in the SEC and 28th nationally with 10 double-doubles after entering the season with just two in his career.
Over the last six games, Wiley has pulled down 60 rebounds (10.0 per game), which is the most in the SEC in that span ahead of Kentucky's Nick Richards (57, 9.5 per game) and Mississippi State's Reggie Perry (53, 8.8 per game).