Just two days after suffering a last minute loss at Ole Miss, the Auburn men's basketball team fell 70-68 to the No. 21 ranked Missouri Tigers.
It was Auburn's 12th straight loss against an SEC opponent.
Auburn (8-5, 0-2 SEC) had a chance with 2.9 seconds left under their own basket, but Tahj Shamsid-Deen's inbounds pass was intercepted before Auburn could get off a shot.
"Offensively we executed fairly well, shooting 54 percent in the second half," Auburn head coach Tony Barbee said. "But when it matters the most in those key moments, your execution has to be at its highest. In those key moments, in those last three or four possessions, our execution was at its lowest in this game."
Coming off the worst shooting performance of his brief Auburn career, junior guard KT Harrell had 27 points for Auburn, including 3-of-9 three point shooting.
"We're really proud of each other just with the way that we fought," Harrell said. "I think Coach (Barbee) made the right calls to get us good looks but we just have to execute."
Chris Denson, the SEC's leading scorer going into Saturday's game, struggled from the field and at the line against Missouri's bigger guards. The senior finished with 11 points and was just 3-of-10 from the free throw line.
Auburn and Missouri (13-2, 1-1 SEC) both struggled shooting the ball in the first half, as the teams each only made eight field goals.
A late first half 8-0 run was capped by a Jabari Brown three pointer that gave Missouri a 33-30 halftime lead.
Missouri's trio of scoring guards Jordan Clarkson, Brown and former Auburn player Earnest Ross combined for 21 of the Tigers' 33 first half points.
Many of Auburn's freshmen played a key role in keeping the game close.
Shamsid-Deen had 13 points, four shy of a career high, and six assists from the point guard position while walk-on Alex Thompson totaled eight points with his first three career field goals.
"I think we have a special freshman group," Barbee said. "It's about opportunity, and to stay ready and to stay positive so that when your opportunity comes, you're ready for it."
Mizzou fell behind 51-48 early in the second half but stormed back into the lead with an 8-0 run that included Auburn freshman forward Matthew Atewe fouling out.
Clarkson, the SEC's third leading scorer going into the game, led the way for Missouri with 20 points and four rebounds while Ross and Brown added 16 and 15 respectively.
Auburn was dominated 44-28 on the glass, but eight blocks and seven steals allowed Auburn to hang around.
"We were in the zone, so we just had to block out an area," Shamsid-Deen said. "Those guys they were crashing hard, playing tough and they played tougher than us tonight and it showed on the offensive glass."
The Tigers will have their next opportunity to end the streak of consecutive SEC losses on Wednesday, Jan. 15 against Tennessee (10-4, 1-0 SEC) in Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 pm CT.
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