The Auburn Tigers played like one of the best teams in the country. The Missouri Tigers did not.

Sometimes, like Saturday at Neville Arena when Auburn beat Missouri 84-68 to open SEC play, it’s just that simple.

“Auburn is a really, really good team,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said. “I thought the punches they threw in the first half really put us on our heels after the 10-minute mark.”

Auburn’s Johni Broome scored 24 points, was 9-of-13 shooting, including 1-of-2 from beyond the arc and grabbed seven rebounds while blocking four shots.

Missouri’s starting lineup combined for 21 points on 8-of-24 shooting, including 1-of-8 from beyond the arc and grabbed nine rebounds, while blocking no shots.

That’s just the type of day it was for the Black & Gold.

Missouri stayed close early, leading 7-6 with 16:17 left in the first half off a Mark Mitchell 3 from the left corner, but Broome answered with his 3 to take back the lead 21 seconds later.

Missouri would never tie or take the lead again.

Auburn used a 7-1 run a little later to build a 20-12 advantage with 11:47 left, then a 9-3 run to get the lead to 29-15 with 8:10 before halftime.

Missouri would never get back within 10 points as Auburn extended the advantage as far as 16 points at multiple times late in the first half.

After the final 16-point lead, a Miles Kelly jumper with 1:52 left, Marques Warrick hit two free throws and a jumper, then Tony Perkins used a Caleb Grill assist for a fast break dunk to bring Missouri within 44-33.

A Kelly free throw created Auburn’s 45-33 halftime lead.

“It just took our guys too long to adjust,” Gates said.

Missouri had kept the game close enough in the first half as Auburn hit 7-of-13 3-pointers and scored 14 points off seven Missouri turnovers, that it seemed as if Mizzou had an opportunity to make a run if it started the second half hot.

It did not.

Denver Jones drove for a layup, then Chaney Johnson hit two free throws after Josh Gray was called for a flagrant foul on a rebound attempt.

Broome drove for a layup and after all of Mizzou’s work to cut the lead to 11 late in the first half, it was out to 18 for the first time at 51-33 with 18:13 left to play.

Marcus Allen hit a free throw for Missouri’s first point of the second half with 18:01 left, but it wouldn’t be until a Trent Pierce layup with 16:54 left that Missouri hit a shot from the field after the break. By then, the lead was past 21.

Auburn would extend the lead as far as 26 at 62-36 after a second-chance 3 from Tahaad Pettiford, but then Missouri went to a freshman-heavy lineup of Allen, T.O. Barrett, Annor Boateng, Warrick and Jacob Crews for the final 8:32.

That lineup went on to cut the lead under 20 after an Allen free throw with 6:55 left, then got the visiting Tigers within 82-68 after an Allen layup with 33 seconds left.

Warrick led the visitors with 19 points to go with three rebounds as he registered a +9 in 17 minutes played. He was the only Missouri player to score in double figures.

Allen was next with nine points and brought down five rebounds, while Barrett had a +10 in 13 minutes played for the highest mark on the team. Boateng had two points, both on free throws, one block and one steal in 12 minutes, the most he has played since registering 13 against Pacific on Nov. 22 and tied for his third longest performance this year behind only 25 minutes against Mississippi Valley State.

“I thought their energy allowed us to do some things,” Gates said. “They were unselfish when it comes down to their energy. They gave what they could give. I’m proud of those guys.”

Pierce had eight points and two rebounds, Grill was 0-of-3 shooting in his second game back from his neck injury, but led the team with six rebounds, Crews had six points on two 3s.

Missouri shot 21-of-55 (38.2 percent) from the field, 7-of-23 (30.4 percent) from 3 and 19-of-26 (73.1 percent) at the free-throw line.

Missouri out-rebounded Auburn 31-29, including grabbing 13 offensive boards, but the visitors were only able to score nine second-chance points off of those opportunities.

Missouri (11-3) will hopefully return to Columbia for an 8 p.m. Tuesday matchup with LSU so long as the Black & Gold are not held up by the incoming snow storm.

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