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Monday, November 16 (7:05 p.m.), JQH Arena (11,000), Springfield, Mo..
Missouri State Bears (0-0) vs. Auburn Tigers (1-0) Showdown with Auburn Opens 2009-10 Campaign for Bears
 Fresh off a pair of one-sided exhibition wins, the Missouri State Bears kick off their 2009-10 regular season at 7:05 p.m. Monday against Southeastern Conference foe Auburn at JQH Arena.
 The Bears, under second-year head coach Cuonzo Martin, return three starters and six lettermen from a year ago when the team finished with an 8-4 non-conference record and 9-8 mark at home in their inaugural season at "the Q."
 Leading the way for the Bears in the preseason have been sophomore returnee Kyle Weems, along with first-year juniors Jermaine Mallett and Adam Leonard. Weems, a 2008-09 MVC All-Freshman Team selection, averaged 11.5 points per game in the exhibition portion of the schedule while playing just 15 minutes per game. Mallett averaged 10.5 points per game and had a team-best 8.0 rebounds in the exhibition wins over Missouri-St. Louis and Henderson State. Leonard was 7-for-14 from three-point range, dished out 12 assists and averaged 10.5 points.
 Auburn is coming off a 24-12 season and has three starters and eight lettermen back. Coach Jeff Lebo’s squad reached the NIT quarterfinals last March after finishing 10-6 in the SEC and second in the league’s West Division. Lebo is a 1989 graduate of North Carolina and enters his 12th coaching season (sixth at Auburn) with a 196-139 career record.
 Tiger seniors DeWayne Reed (6-1, G), and Tay Waller (6-2, G) are the team’s top returnees. Reed averaged 13.2 points and 3.7 assists a year ago, while long-range specialist Waller was a 12.1-point scorer last season with 100 three-pointers. Auburn also has Lucas Hargrove (6-6, F) returning after he posted 8.1 points and 5.3 rebounds as a junior last winter.
 The only previous meeting between the two squads was in last season’s opener at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum on November 14, 2008. AU jumped out to a 34-25 halftime lead and built its advantage to 39-25 early in the second half before the Bears mounted a valiant comeback. A three-pointer by MSU senior Spencer Laurie with 9:43 remaining made it a 52-51 game. However, with just eight players in uniform, the Bears ran out of gas down the stretch in a 75-60 defeat. Chris Cooks had a game-high 18 points for Missouri State, while Laurie and Cardell McFarland each scored 14. Auburn was led by Korvotney Barber’s 22 points, while Waller scored 14 behind four three-pointers.