Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” serenaded Mizzou Arena as Missouri huddled before the final quarter. The home Tigers weren’t living on prayers; rather, they were living off of five 3-point aces in the third quarter. A victory was five points and 10 minutes away, but the Auburn Tigers had other plans.
In her huddle, Auburn coach Johnnie Harris told her team to “work the floor” until they found “something good at the rim”… and they did. A pair of 3-pointers from Sydney Shaw and McKenna Eddings found the bottom of the net, and several Missouri turnovers sealed Auburn’s 70-59 victory Sunday afternoon.
“They (Auburn) take advantage of you anytime you exhale,” Missouri coach Robin Pingeton said of Auburn’s fourth quarter recovery, which featured 12 points off Missouri’s seven turnovers.
Auburn stung Missouri offensively from their first possession. “We wanted to go to war off the bat,” said Auburn coach Johnnie Harris. Auburn outscored Missouri 16-8 in the first 10 minutes.
Harris complimented star guard Honesty Scott-Grayson, who led the team in scoring once again. Missouri tried to trap Auburn along the perimeter, but Scott-Grayson exploited gaps at the top of key. She earned eight points in the first and finished with 24 for the road Tigers on an efficient 8/13 shooting.
Even though Missouri managed to extend the shot clock with lane penetration and offensive boards, most of its first quarter shots clanked off the rim. A four-minute scoring drought created a fatal deficit, as Missouri didn’t take another lead until there was less than a minute left in the third quarter.
“Our slow start really hurt us,” Pingeton said.
However, the scoreboard told a different story than action on the court in the second quarter. Despite Auburn outscoring Missouri in the opening two quarters, Missouri controlled the momentum before halftime. Mama Dembele carved holes through Auburn’s defense in the lane.
That momentum carried over into the third quarter, where Ashton Judd commanded the court. Her pair of shots from downtown and an and–one kept the Tigers’ chances alive.
Then, Slaughter nailed a three from Norm Stewart logo to tie the game at 48 riling up what was a very quiet Mizzou Arena.
However, Auburn visited the charity stripe twice within the final minute, and Missouri struggled to respond on the other end of the court in the fourth.
Dembele led the team with a career-high triple-double showcase. Her 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists was the first triple-double from a Missouri Tiger since 2011 and the first by an Auburn opponent since 2009.
After the game, she attributed her success to the “freedom” her teammates give her to drive to the lane and manage the offense’s pace of play. But, she admitted she “doesn’t really care” about the triple double because her team lost.
Dembele competed without her teammate Hayley Frank for the third straight game, but several freshmen strove to replace their scoring catalyst. Abbey Schreacke registered 12 points, and Grace Slaughter scored 11.
Regarding Frank, Pingeton said “we’re really close,” to a return from Mizzou’s leading scorer.
The Missouri Tigers (11-13, 2-9), extended their losing streak to six games, but they’ll look to rebound in Fayetteville next Sunday against Arkansas (17-9, 5-6).