Preview: Auburn Tigers at Missouri Tigers COLUMBIA, Mo. (Interstat) — Two teams trending in opposite directions will meet Thursday night when the Auburn Tigers visit the Missouri Tigers in a Southeastern Conference women’s basketball matchup at Mizzou Arena. Missouri (16-11) looks to steady itself after a lopsided 98-53 road loss to Tennessee last Thursday. Prior to that defeat, coach Robin Pingeton’s squad had won three of its previous four games, showcasing a potent offense. The home Tigers will lean on guard Grace Slaughter, who has been a consistent scoring threat. Slaughter averaged 19.5 points over her last four contests, including a 24-point performance in an 87-82 win at Arkansas on Feb. 5. Auburn (13-13) arrives mired in a seven-game losing streak, most recently falling 81-63 at Texas A&M on Sunday. First-year coach Johnnie Harris continues to seek consistency from a team that has struggled offensively during the skid, failing to reach 65 points in any of the losses. The visiting Tigers will rely on guard Kaitlyn Duhon to provide a spark. Duhon is coming off a season-high 23 points in the loss to Texas A&M, but Auburn has needed more support around her. The game features a contrast in recent form. Missouri has shown the ability to win high-scoring conference games, while Auburn’s defense, which kept it competitive earlier in SEC play, has faltered during the current slide. Missouri won the season’s first meeting 70-59 on Jan. 18 in Auburn. A key matchup will be on the perimeter between Missouri’s Slaughter and Auburn’s Duhon, both capable of carrying their team’s scoring load. Missouri’s ability to defend at home, where it is 10-4 this season, against an Auburn team desperate to stop its skid will likely determine the outcome. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. CST tipoff. Following this contest, Missouri travels to face LSU on Sunday, while Auburn returns home to host Georgia on Monday.