No. 18 Missouri 91, Auburn 77: Keion Bell returned from a one-game absence to score a season-high 24 points as Missouri won its first-ever meeting against Auburn and improved to 13-0 at home.

Earnest Ross stung his former team with season highs in 3-pointers (five) and points (23) for Missouri (16-5, 5-3 SEC), which outscored Auburn 42-20 in the paint and shot 54.5 percent from the floor.

Frankie Sullivan finished with 12 points to pace Auburn (8-13, 2-6), which has lost six straight.

Missouri established the inside game early with Laurence Bowers scoring five quick points before Ross drained all three of his first-half 3-pointers to help the host jump out to a 45-35 cushion at the break.

Sullivan led a small rally with four straight points early in the second half to bring Auburn within eight points, but Bell made one of his seven layups and Phil Pressey hit his only basket – a 3-pointer – to spark an 18-5 run over a 4:17 span as the lead quickly ballooned to 21 points.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Bell missed Wednesday’s loss at LSU with pain in his left bicep muscle. … With 11 points Saturday, Missouri F Alex Oriakhi surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career. The Connecticut transfer scored 789 points for the Huskies over three years before joining Missouri prior to this season. … Pressey – the conference’s assist leader – finished with only four points but had 10 assists, his fourth double-digit effort of the season. He is seven assists shy of breaking Anthony Peeler’s school record for career assists (497).