There's something to be said about taking care of business.

Maybe the score at halftime was tighter than anticipated. Maybe there were too many fouls. Maybe the shots didn't fall at a satisfactory rate.

Whatever the case, Auburn basketball went into Mizzou Arena on Tuesday and did what was necessary: Leave with a win. The visiting Tigers briefly trailed at the onset after Tamar Bates sank a late-in-the-shot-clock 3-pointer on Missouri's opening possession, but they regained the lead shortly thereafter and never fell behind again on the way to a 101-74 victory.

Auburn (23-7, 12-5 SEC), which maintains its unblemished record in Quadrant II, Quadrant III and Quadrant IV opportunities after topping Missouri (8-22, 0-17), is now tied with Alabama for third place in the SEC. The Tigers remain in good position to secure a double bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament in Nashville.

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Auburn basketball tapers off after hot start in first half

The Tigers opened the contest at Missouri by making 12 of their first 25 shots to earn a 10-point advantage with about six minutes remaining in the first half. They closed the opening frame by missing 12 of their next 15 attempts, allowing Missouri to climb back into the game and make it a five-point affair at the break.

Chad Baker-Mazara keeps it going

Junior forward Chad Baker-Mazara was the only Auburn player to knock down a triple in the first half, connecting on two of his four tries from beyond the arc. The rest of the Tigers were a combined 0-for-12.

Baker-Mazara, who finished with 15 points, has now scored 10 or more in nine of his last 10 games. He's averaging 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and a steal over that stretch. He's also shooting 50.7% and has a 55.2% rate from deep.

Auburn feasts on the offensive glass, as expected

Missouri entered Tuesday with a defensive rebounding percentage of 64.4%. That ranked No. 356 out of 362 Division I teams, according to College Basketball Analytics. Auburn took advantage, collecting 14 offensive rebounds and registering 22 second-chance points.

Next up on Auburn basketball's schedule

The Tigers will close the regular season at home against Georgia on Saturday (5:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network). Auburn beat the Bulldogs by 21 points in Stegeman Coliseum on Feb. 24.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Front court leads Auburn basketball to road win at winless Missouri