This Mizzou duo handled business off the bench, combined for 31 points vs. Auburn

Missouri Tigers guard T.O. Barrett made his presence known from the moment he checked in with 13 minutes remaining in the first half of Wednesday night’s game at Mizzou Arena.

Within one minute, the sophomore grabbed a steal in front of an Auburn big man that led to an assist for senior forward Mark Mitchell, who passed the ball downcourt to junior forward Trent Pierce for an and-one dunk that kick-started Mizzou's offense.

Barrett followed with an open mid-range floater on the next offensive possession. From there, Barrett and Pierce traded baskets — drives from Barrett and 3-pointers from Pierce.

Barrett and Pierce proved to be two of the most influential factors in Missouri's 84-74 win over Auburn.

In his 22 minutes on the court, Barrett finished with a career-high 13 points. His impact went beyond the box score, as he continuously agitated Auburn's guards and hustled for deflections.

He brought an intensity that had not been seen from the sophomore yet this season, stepping into the role of junior Anthony Robinson II and making it his own.

"Tonight, (Barrett) took advantage of the opportunity and he left no doubt that he belonged," Missouri coach Dennis Gates said. "He left no doubt that he helped his team win. … T.O. made me keep him in the game."

Though Barrett was successful in his facilitation and overall play, his composure cracked slightly against Auburn's press. He had two turnovers and two fouls with less than five minutes remaining, contributing to some of Auburn's late-game opportunities.

Still, Barrett and the Tigers shook off their mistakes and finished strong with a dunk from graduate guard Jayden Stone. And of course MU went on to win the game.

"I've just been trying to get back to myself," Barrett said. "I feel like I've been letting my team down a little bit, so that was really my focus tonight, and the game worked in my favor."

Another key player for the Tigers was Pierce, who returned from a hip injury just in time for Southeastern Conference play, along with Stone, who returned from a hand injury.

While Barrett facilitated up top, Pierce cut off passing lanes defensively and grabbed key rebounds. His biggest contribution came from beyond the arc, as Pierce shot 5-for-7 from 3-point range, with his only other basket coming on the and-one dunk off Mitchell's pass.

"I wanted to take quality shots," Pierce said, "and my teammates found me when I was open."

The junior sharpshooter consistently found open space and let the ball fly with little hesitation. His ability to find space, coupled with his teammates' ability to find him, proved key in Mizzou's first-half lead and closing out the game.

Pierce finished with 18 points but admitted he is still working back into game shape. At times during the back-and-forth contest, Pierce checked himself out to catch a breather.

"I'm trying to get back to in-game shape to where I don't need to pull myself out," Pierce said. "After playing for so many years, you learn how to play through that."

Pierce and Barrett combined for 31 of Missouri's 84 points and accounted for all of the Tigers' bench scoring.

Missouri will look to build on its victory over Auburn when it travels to face LSU at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Copyright 2026 Columbia Missourian

This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 11:03 AM with the headline "This Mizzou duo handled business off the bench, combined for 31 points vs. Auburn."