AUBURN, Ala. – A late push by University of Missouri women’s basketball was not enough to overtake Auburn as Missouri was defeated 75-60 Sunday afternoon in Neville Arena.
Sophomore guard Grace Slaughter led Mizzou (11-10, 0-6 SEC) in scoring for the 10th time this season with 14 points and four rebounds. Junior guard Ashton Judd contributed 13 points and six boards to aid the effort. Senior forward Laniah Randle added 11 points and five rebounds.
Missouri’s staunch defensive presence limited Auburn early in the contest. Mizzou held the hosts to just 10 points in the opening eight minutes. Offensively, Missouri relied on their 3-point efficiency as Slaughter and redshirt sophomore guard Averi Kroenke connected on a trio of triples in the first several minutes. A 3-pointer in the final minute gave Auburn a 19-11 lead at the end of one.
With a triple from Slaughter and a layup from senior guard Nyah Wilson, Missouri began the second frame on a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to just two. Auburn responded with an offensive scoring charge and took a 36-23 lead into the break. Sophomore guard Abbey Schreacke converted a 3-pointer, while sophomore forward Hilke Feldrappe and Randle added baskets in the back half of the quarter.
Sparked by a triple from Schreacke, Missouri mounted a 12-0 run in the opening minutes of the third quarter to regain position in the contest. Judd added a basket from deep and Randle capped the scoring streak with a layup. Despite the run, a late push by Auburn saw Mizzou trailing, 50-38, entering the fourth.
Judd headlined the Black and Gold scoring effort with six points in the third period.
In the final frame, a 3-pointer from Judd and a layup by Slaughter made it a seven-point game with seven minutes remaining. Auburn was able to extend the lead back to double digits and hold on for the victory.
Missouri converted 41 percent (9-22) of its attempts from beyond the arc and outscored Auburn in the paint, 24-18.
UP NEXT
Missouri will return home to face Mississippi State at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27 at Mizzou Arena. The contest will be broadcast on SEC Network.
