AUBURN, Ala. – Sharife Cooper took over in the second half Tuesday night, turning the game in Auburn's favor, but it was Allen Flanigan's one-handed slam in the final minutes that proved to be the exclamation point in an 88-82 win over No. 12 Missouri.
With Auburn up seven and just under two minutes remaining, Flanigan took off from midcourt, blew by his defender and threw it down with his left hand.
Game. Set. Match.
"That's the best win of the year so far against a nationally ranked team," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "A really, really good team in Missouri. A veteran team and a team we couldn't beat last year."
Cooper fittingly put the game away late with three free throws in the final 30 seconds. The freshman point guard scored 21 of his game-high 28 points in the second half and also led the team in rebounds (8) and assists (7). Midway through the second half, he scored three straight buckets in a span of two minutes to put Auburn in front 66-62. The home team never trailed again.
"It just gives you confidence," Cooper said. "Just going out there and playing a team that you know is No. 12 in the country – they're one of the best teams in the country – so we feel like we could compete with anybody after you win one of those games. It's big for our confidence as a team, and I think we can build on that."
Cooper was 18 of 21 from the charity stripe, breaking the Auburn record for free throws made in a game and tying the program record for free throw attempts.
For Auburn, it was the highest-ranked team the Tigers have beaten in the regular season since March 9, 2019 (No. 5 Tennessee, 84-80). It was also the eighth win in their last 11 games against ranked opponents.
Gallery: (1-26-2021) Auburn vs. Missouri
In the first half, Auburn started hot and jumped out to a 26-13 lead with JT Thor scoring nine points in the game's first 10 minutes. The freshman big man was second on the team with 12 points and made 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. But when Cooper was called for his third foul with 5:06 remaining in the first half, the game turned.
Cooper didn't return until the 17:17 mark in the second half, and during that eight-minute stretch spanning both halves, Missouri went on a 21-9 run and grabbed a 45-41 lead. Cooper returned, however, and with him on the court for 16 of the last 17 minutes, Auburn had a 10-point advantage the rest of the way.
Like Cooper, Flanigan and Jaylin Williams also got into foul trouble with two fouls apiece in the first half, but the Auburn bench responded in their absence in the first half and again in key moments in the second half.
Freshman Chris Moore knocked down back-to-back 3s in the first half, helping Auburn jump out to a big lead, but his biggest shot of the night came midway through the second half when he knocked down a third 3 to break a 57-57 tie. Moore finished with a career-high 11 points in 14 minutes off the bench.
"It felt great," Moore said. "All my life, it's been about confidence. When I got here, I was shy of confidence, but the coaching staff has been getting on me all year about shooting my shot. That's in our DNA. Me making shots and coming through for the team was really big."
With 14 points from Moore, eight points apiece from Devan Cambridge and Dylan Cardwell, and contributions from Javon Franklin and Babatunde Akingbola, Auburn outscored Missouri's bench, 34-22. Akingbola also finished with a team-high five blocks.
"I'm happy for the bench," Pearl said. "They did a great job tonight. We outscored them, outplayed them off the bench, which is terrific. We were led by Devan Cambridge, Dylan Cardwell was 6 for 7 from the foul line, Chris played his best game, Javon came in and gave us some great moments. It was a good team victory."
Auburn matched its season high with 14 blocks on the night. Akingbola led the way with five, but Thor had four blocks, Williams had two, and three other players finished with one. The Tigers now lead the nation with 106 rejections on the season.
The schedule doesn't get any easier for Auburn (10-7, 4-5) with a road trip to No. 2 Baylor on tap for Saturday. The game is slated to tip off at 3 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN.
