AUBURN, Ala. – Bruce Pearl turned to the group behind him and waved his arms, asking for noise moments earlier than Auburn tipped off towards Missouri in what BP referred to as a must-win sport, the Tigers’ largest of the yr.

Like Pearl’s group, the followers acquired the message.

Auburn raced to a 27-point halftime lead, blasting the visiting Tigers 89-56 Tuesday at Neville Area to emphatically snap a three-game shedding streak behind Johni Broome’s double-double and Ok.D. Johnson’s sensational first half.

“We performed very well tonight,” the Auburn coach mentioned. “I used to be actually happy with the fellows as a result of they’ve labored so onerous the final couple weeks, we have performed higher, however with no reward. We actually received each place tonight.”

Broome led the best way with 20 factors and 10 rebounds.

“This was a sport we needed to win,” mentioned Broome, echoing Pearl’s pregame sentiment. “Everyone got here out and put within the effort to get after it.”

“We’d like Johni to be dominant on the within,” Pearl mentioned. “We had a bonus on the 5 place tonight. We dominated the 5 spot, which we would have liked to.”

Allen Flanigan added 16 factors on 6-of-7 taking pictures, Wendell Inexperienced Jr. added 9 assists with no turnovers, and Jaylin Williams scored 9 factors and grabbed seven rebounds.

“I am glad we shot the ball higher,” Pearl mentioned of Auburn’s 9-for-18 3-point taking pictures. “That is acquired an opportunity to provide us a bit little bit of confidence transferring ahead.”

Johnson made 4 of 5 3-point makes an attempt whereas scoring 14 within the first half, punctuating a 14-0 run that gave Auburn a 19-2 lead, forcing a Missouri timeout on the 13:05 mark.

“We simply took no matter they gave us,” Johnson mentioned. “Hopefully it went in, and it went in tonight and we acquired the W. We would have liked this one. We acquired this for [Coach Pearl], our group and our followers.”

Johnson prolonged Auburn’s result in 20 with one other 3-pointer. Flanigan’s steal and slam pushed the result in 24 and capped a 6-0 run.

Johnson drilled one other nook 3-pointer and Williams scored a basket and added a free throw throughout a 10-0 run to provide the house group a 43-16 lead.

Auburn held Missouri with no 3-pointer within the first half on eight makes an attempt.

The factors stored coming within the second half. Zep Jasper hit back-to-back 3-pointers throughout a 13-0 run that gave Auburn a 37-point lead at 62-25.

Lior Berman’s 3-pointer put the house Tigers on high 89-50, Auburn’s largest lead. Berman tied his season excessive with eight factors. Dylan Cardwell added eight factors and 10 rebounds. Johnson added a free throw within the second half to complete with 15 factors, his most in SEC play this season.

“Preserve getting higher,” Johnson mentioned. “You are going to lose some and win some. You have to come within the subsequent day and work onerous. We have been centered on what’s forward of us, not what’s behind us. We maintain that mindset, we’ll maintain this going and make our approach to March.”

Auburn outrebounded Missouri 48-26. Sean East II led Missouri (19-7, 7-6) with 14 factors.

Auburn (18-8, 8-5) travels to Nashville to play Vanderbilt Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Community. “Our guys care about making an attempt to make historical past,” Pearl mentioned. “We need to get to the NCAA Event. This helps however we have nonetheless acquired work to do. Nice win, we’ll take tomorrow off and prepare for Vanderbilt.”