Stone scores 22, Mitchell 20 as Missouri beats Auburn 84-74, improves to 3-1 in SEC

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COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jayden Stone scored 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting, Mark Mitchell added 20 points, and Missouri beat Auburn 84-74 on Wednesday night.

Stone (14) and Mitchell combined to score 26 second-half points.

Trent Pierce scored 18 points and T.O. Barrett 13 for Missouri (12-4, 3-1 SEC), which is off to its best start since in conference play since it joined the SEC in July 2012.

Kevin Overton and Elyjah Freeman scored 13 points apiece for Auburn (10-7, 1-3). Sebastian Williams-Adams added 12 points and Keyshawn Hall scored 10. Hall was coming off back-to-back 32-point games in a 90-88 loss to Texas A&M and a 95-73 win over No. 15 Arkansas.

Stone made a layup with 2:27 left that stopped an 7-0 Auburn run and gave Missouri an eight-point lead. Overton and Hall made consecutive baskets in the paint to make it 74-70, but Stone converted a three-point play that pushed the lead to seven with 1:38 remaining and it was at least a two-possession game the rest of the way.

Missouri made 27 of 49 (55%) from the field and shot 47% (9 of 19) from 3-point range.

Overton hit two 3s in an 8-1 spurt that trimmed Auburn's deficit to 44-42 with 16:16 left in the game, but Missouri scored 15 of the 21 points to push their lead to 11 midway through the second half.

Missouri is 13-0 this season when it scores 72-plus points, but 0-4 when it does not.

Auburn: Hosts South Carolina on Saturday.

Missouri: Visits LSU on Saturday.

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