COLUMBIA, Mo. – Honesty Scott-Grayson topped the 20-point mark for the fourth straight SEC game, and Auburn never trailed in a 70-59 victory at Missouri for their first SEC road win of the year.
Auburn (15-8, 4-6 SEC) jumped out to a big lead and withstood a third-quarter run by Mizzou, pulling away early in the fourth to pick up their fourth win in league play.
"We came out and played the way we wanted to play," Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris said. "We started out making it tough for (Missouri) to get all those 3s off. They ended up getting some of those off in the third quarter; a lot of that was in transition.
"I loved the way my team fought back in the fourth quarter. We made them guard us, and we kind of worked the ball a little bit more instead of taking quick shots. We got some really good looks and were able to knock them down, and we were able to get to the free-throw line."
Scott-Grayson's 24 points led all scorers as she was 8-of-13 from the floor and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. She also pulled down five rebounds along with three assists and a steal.
JaMya Mingo-Young also had a big afternoon, recording her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds, along with a team-leading five assists and two steals.
The Tigers shot 42.6 percent from the floor (26-61), improving to 13-0 this season when hitting the 40-percent mark. They overcame 10 3-pointers by Mizzou, which accounted for nearly half their offense.
Auburn saw a 12-point halftime lead disappear late in the third quarter as an Abbey Schraeke 3-pointer – Mizzou's fifth of the period – tied the game at 48-48. But five straight points from Scott-Grayson in the final 30 seconds – a pair of free throws followed by a traditional 3-point play – pushed Auburn back ahead at 53-48 after three.
A McKenna Eddings 3-pointer sparked a 10-0 Auburn run to open the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 15 at 63-48 with 6:35 to play, and Mizzou would not get within single digits the rest of the way.
Auburn led 16-8 after one quarter on the strength of strong defense and eight points from Scott-Grayson. Mizzou was held to 3-of-15 shooting in the opening period. The lead would be 33-21 at halftime.
Mizzou's Mama Dembele recorded the first triple-double by an Auburn opponent since 2009, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Auburn is back at home Thursday, Feb. 15, to host the Kentucky Wildcats. Game time is 6 p.m. CT; it's the annual Play4Kay Pink Game and fans are encouraged to wear pink.
Show Me a road win: Auburn women beat Missouri 70-59
