The rivalry of the Tigers in the 2022-2023 season came to a close as the Missouri Tigers and Auburn Tigers faced each other for the final time this wheelchair basketball season.

Auburn led the series 3-0 before facing Missouri twice this weekend at Historic Brewer Fieldhouse. After defeating Missouri in its first tournament game Friday, Auburn was looking to add another win to its resume, but the visiting Tigers fell short. 

In talking with Missouri coach Ron Lykins before Saturday’s game, he said his team “did it good,” but they “needed to do it better.” His game keys included: better defensive breakdowns and finishing better than Friday. 

It’s safe to say Missouri achieved this goal. Colin Higgins led the team to victory with a 27 point game. Alongside him was Lee Melymick who scored 13 points. Offense wasn’t all that led them to the win. Zach Steger, who has a big presence on the court, made huge defensive stops in time of need. However, when he got into foul trouble Mack Reed came into the game seamlessly. Although he put no points up, he was a key component to the team with his offensive screens and good defensive stops. The Missouri Tigers trailed for most of the game until the final few minutes when they were able to get ahead and stay ahead. 

Notable players for the Auburn Tigers were Luke Robinson, Sam Armas and Joe Rafter who led the tough Auburn offense at point guard.

Missouri improves to 4-9 after its win against Auburn. The Tigers face Omaha this weekend in Nebraska.