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Auburn survives scare from Missouri in first game at No. 1
Auburn's Dylan Cardwell, center, pulls down a rebound in front of Missouri's Kobe Brown, left, and Jarron Coleman, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Auburn survives scare from Missouri in first game at No. 1

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — K.D. Johnson scored 17 points, including five straight within the final 90 seconds, and No. 1 Auburn survived a scare from Missouri, winning 55-54 on Tuesday night in the program’s first-ever game as the nation’s top-ranked team.

Johnson converted a three-point play with 1:29 remaining to put Auburn ahead 53-51, then added a layup with 45 seconds left for a four-point advantage, and the Tigers (19-1, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) held on from there.

Walker Kessler had 13 points and 12 rebounds for Auburn, which shot 30% from the field.

Javon Pickett led Missouri (8-11, 2-5) with 17 points, and Jaron Coleman added 10.

Missouri got off to a roaring start, opening a 10-point lead in the first six minutes while Auburn missed 10 of its first 11 shots. Auburn star freshman Jabari Smith — a potential top pick in this year’s NBA draft — scored three points in the first half as the teams went into halftime tied at 31.

Smith finished with five points on 2-of-15 shooting, although he contributed 10 rebounds.

BIG PICTURE

Auburn: Wendell Green Jr. injured his right knee in a collision with Missouri’s Yaya Keita with 13:18 left in the game. Green, who was called for a charge on the play, went to the locker room but later returned. Green entered the game as Auburn’s third-leading scorer at 13.0 points per game.

Missouri: After being overmatched earlier in the season against Kansas, Illinois and Kentucky — the average margin of defeat in those games was 33 points — Missouri has been more competitive in recent weeks. It beat Alabama and Mississippi and led for extended periods in losses to Texas A&M, Alabama (the rematch) and Auburn.

UP NEXT

Auburn: Hosts Oklahoma on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

Missouri: At No. 23 Iowa State on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25