3 Takeaways From Mizzou's Bounce-back Win Over Auburn

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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri grabbed its 3rd triumph of SEC play Wednesday night, taking down Auburn successful a 84-74 win.

Missouri has now started SEC play 3-1, including 2 wins complete Final-Four teams from past season.

Midway done nan 2nd half, it looked arsenic if Missouri would beryllium capable to sail to victory, holding a 13-point lead pinch 4:16 remaining. But Auburn didn't make it easy successful nan last minutes.

Here’s our 3 takeaways from nan game.

Allowing, past responding to a precocious scare

Jan 14, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers defender Jayden Stone (17) shoots arsenic Auburn Tigers defender Tahaad Pettiford (0) defends during nan 2nd half of nan crippled astatine Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Missouri apparently decided it wanted much play for nan last minutes.

All 4 of Missouri's first SEC games person required precocious efforts. Though, against Auburn, Missouri put itself successful nan gutter. After holding a lead of 10 aliases much points for much than 2 minutes, Missouri allowed 7 unanswered points successful a span of 90 seconds, giving Auburn oxygen for a comeback attempt.

After nan tally for Auburn, Missouri's 13-point lead was quickly trim to conscionable six pinch 2:44 remaining. That span included Missouri sending Auburn to nan free-throw statement 4 times.

Auburn past trim Missouri's lead to conscionable 4 points pinch 1:46 remaining. Missouri managed to bent connected by handling business astatine nan free-throw statement and making cardinal shots successful nan precocious moments.

Though Missouri's free-throw shooting struggles continued done nan crippled overall, it did spell 4-for-5 from nan statement successful nan last 90 seconds of nan game.

Though Auburn made Missouri slip, Gates didn't spot it arsenic his squad doing thing "bad," alternatively seeing Missouri's consequence arsenic nan important portion of nan last minutes.

"I saw our programme respond to what we knew was going to hap — a squad fighting backmost precocious successful nan crippled and trying to find a measurement that's SEC convention play," Gates said. "It's going to spell possession by possession. We knew that we had a double-digit lead. But there's nary uncertainty astir it, they put themselves successful a awesome situation."

Pierce bounces backmost successful large way

Trent Pierce proved really overmuch of a quality he tin make successful his first 3 games of nan season, but Wednesday was his astir impactful capacity of nan twelvemonth aft missing each of non-conference play pinch an injury.

Pierce scored 12 of Missouri’s 38 first-half points, including 3 makes connected 4 3-point attempts. Pierce ended nan time 5-for-7 connected 3s. The 71% people from 3 is simply a profession precocious for Pierce successful games pinch astatine slightest six attempts from down nan arc.

It was a bounce-back capacity for Pierce from 3 aft he changeable 2-for-8 from heavy connected Saturday astatine Ole Miss.

"Little disappointment nan past mates games," Pierce said. "So for illustration this game, I wanted to return value shots, and I felt for illustration my teammates recovered maine erstwhile I was open."

Jan 14, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers defender Trent Pierce (11) dunks nan shot against nan Auburn Tigers during nan first half of nan crippled astatine Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

He built up a flood gross aft Auburn scored 7 unanswered points, scoring connected a fast-break, and-one dunk, followed by a 3.

In nan 2nd half, Pierce deed what was adjacent to a dagger shot, sinking an uncontested 3 to put Missouri up 67-55 pinch 6:33 remaining.

Perimeter shooting was 1 of nan biggest flaws of Missouri erstwhile Pierce and Stone were sidelined pinch injury, but nan return of those 2 person reinvigorated that facet of nan offense. Stone besides added 9 captious points successful nan last 2:30 of nan crippled to thief Missorui abstracted to clasp to nan lead.

Pierce revealed aft nan crippled that though he's been capable to mean astir 25 minutes per crippled successful his first 4 games of nan season, he's still moving himself backmost into crippled shape. If he tin proceed to beryllium arsenic businesslike from 3-point scope arsenic he was Wednesday night, it would adhd a batch to nan Missouri offense.

Barrett capable to measurement up for profession night

Jan 14, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers defender T.O. Barrett (5) celebrates aft scoring against nan Auburn Tigers during nan first half of nan crippled astatine Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

T.O. Barrett contributed immoderate of his champion minutes of nan play successful nan win, playing astatine +18 successful 22:30 of play. He changeable 4-for-5 from nan section and 5-for-6 connected free throws for a profession precocious of 13 points. He besides grabbed 4 rebounds.

There's been ups and downs to Barrett's sophomore play aft a promising freshman year, but Wednesday was nan champion showing truthful acold of what he tin lend to this year's team.

"I've conscionable been trying to get backmost to myself," Barrett said. "I consciousness for illustration I've been letting my squad down a small spot and conscionable not focused connected nan specifications and nan small things. And conscionable doing that, it makes you for illustration much locked into nan game. So that was really my attraction tonight, and nan crippled worked successful my favor."

Gates has specifically wanted Barrett to beryllium capable to measurement up erstwhile Anthony Robinson II isn't having his champion night. Gates mentioned he wanted Barrett to beryllium capable to measurement successful much successful nan nonaccomplishment to Ole Miss, wherever Robinson changeable 2-for-9 and fouled out.

"When Ant Robinson is not doing something, he has to beryllium nan 1 to capable successful nan gap," Gates said. "And we don't cognize nighttime successful and nighttime retired what that is."

Wednesday night's triumph was different opportunity for Barrett to measurement up connected a down nighttime for Robinson, who scored 5 points while shooting 1-for-5 from nan field. Barrett took afloat advantage this time.

"When Ant Robinson has a bad game, he (Barrett) can't spend to person a bad game," Gates said. "That's erstwhile he should beryllium taken advantage of nan opportunity, and I thought tonight, he took advantage of nan opportunity, and he near nary uncertainty that he belonged. He near nary uncertainty that he helped his squad win."

After nan unsmooth agelong to extremity convention play, Missouri's basking commencement to convention play has been fueled by improvement that has needed to hap successful betwixt games. Some of that has travel successful nan shape of Pierce and Stone returning to nan court. The continued improvements of players for illustration Barrett will beryllium important for nan remainder of Missouri's season.

"What you spot is simply a group of guys, a group of kids, continuing to get amended time by day," Gates said.

Missouri will deed nan roadworthy again Saturday, walking to return connected LSU astatine 2:30 p.m. Saturday.