Phil Pressey (1) and Earnest Ross (33) are all smiles late in the game against South Carolina. Both men hit key 3-point shots in the second half to help secure the 71-65 win at Mizzou Arena.
COLUMBIA, MO – Junior guard, Earnest Ross, played his first two years of college basketball for the Tigers of Auburn. Saturday afternoon, he faced them for the first time as a Tiger of another team, Missouri. During his sophomore season, he led Auburn with 13.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Saturday he came off the bench, after sitting the first 3 1/2 minutes, to score a season high 23 points.
Mizzou went on to beat Ross’ former team 91-77 in a one-sided battle in Columbia. Five players from Missouri scored double digits including Connecticut transfer, Alex Oriakhi, who scored his 1,000 career point on a three-point play. The senior transfer student is averaging 10.4 points per game and 57.7 percent shooting this season.
Keion Bell had a team high 24 and star point guard Phil Pressey, who scored just four points, added 10 assists and moved the ball so well his efforts landed him a spot on ESPN’s Top Ten Plays of the Day. With those 10 assists, Pressey moves into second place all-time in school history with 491, only six behind the leader, Anthony Peeler.
Auburn tried to put up a fight. Senior guard Frankie Sullivan led the Tigers with 12 points with two others, Chris Denson and Rob Chubb adding 10. Auburn, who is 8-13 overall and 2-6 in SEC play, is tied with South Carolina for last place in the conference. They shot just 35 percent on the day equaled to their team average over the past five games.
Mizzou, on the other hand, shot almost 55 percent. A bit of a different game than Wednesday night at LSU when they only shot 37 percent. “This is the first game since Dec. 22 that we’ve had our whole team,” coach Frank Haith said. “That’s what I look at. That’s a blessing.” The Tigers, 13-0 at home this season, join Florida as the only SEC teams to stay undefeated at home. Missouri, however, is winless on the road this year and plays five of its next seven outside their comfort zone of Mizzou Arena.
Shu in the Lou 