AUBURN | Two teams in desperate need of a win clash at Auburn Arena Wednesday night. Auburn, which comes into the matchup against Missouri 13-6 overall and 2-4 in the SEC, is coming off three-straight losses and fell out of the AP Top 25 this week for the first time all season.

Missouri, 10-8 overall and 1-5 in the conference, is coming off a difficult overtime loss at LSU in which they blew a 14-point lead with 2:14 left in the game.

“Well, I think the framework -- the locker room is really good, but this obviously a pivotal week for us,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “Step back, if you will -- and I told the team this -- we're 13-6 ranked No. 26 in the country. Step back from everything else, we're 13-6. And we're ranked 26 in the country, and our NET is 25. That's where we are right now. We play Missouri on Wednesday, you know what I'm saying? I want to give them the confidence -- there's a lot of teams in the country that would trade places with us right now at 13-6 and 25th in the country.”

Auburn is second in the SEC in scoring averaging 83.8 points per game, but it’s the other end of the floor that concerns Pearl. The Tigers are allowing 69.4 points per game, which ranks fifth in the SEC and 122nd nationally, but that number rises to 80.0 points per game in conference play.

AU gave up 92 points in a loss at No. 22 Mississippi State Saturday, 80 in a loss at South Carolina last Wednesday and 82 in a home loss to No. 12 Kentucky Jan. 19.

“The biggest thing that is ailing us is our defense,” Pearl said. “The way to overcome our defensive deficiencies are team-related. The individual defensive deficiencies are what they are. Those don't change overnight and there are factors for why they exist. How you overcome is the other four guys on the floor and what they do to put themselves in position to be able to assist a defensive weakness or a breakdown, and that's what we're not doing. That's what we're not engaged in doing.

“It particularly showed up late in the game against Mississippi State. I mean, it's tied at 70 and it was a very close game throughout the second half. At that point forward, we just could not get a stop. They literally scored 11 or 12 out of their last 15 possessions. And you can't win a game in that situation. We understand it. We get it. We had a very good practice yesterday working on it. If we're able to fix it, we'll get back to winning. If we're not, then losing will continue. It's as simple as that.”

Missouri’s lone conference win was by 23 points at Texas A&M Jan. 19. Mizzou is led by senior guard Jordan Geist, who is averaging 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. After missing the LSU game with an ankle injury, sophomore guard Mark Smith is expected back in the lineup. He’s averaging 12.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and shoots 47.5 percent from 3-point range.

“Missouri is really good defensively,” Pearl said. “Statistically, they're like the second or third best defense in the league. They only allow 67 points a game. They've out-rebounded 14 of their 18 opponents, and they’re, by percentage, the league's best 3-point shooting team. They really shoot the 3 well.

“They've got (Jeremiah) Tilmon and (Kevin) Puryear on the inside, and then they put three or four shooters around them on the outside. The kid Smith is, by percentage, the best 3-point shooter in the league. Jordan Geist is a guy, we've played against him for years. He's having a great year. Doubled his output offensively and really shooting the ball really well. You've got to gameplan for him.”

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.