The Auburn Tigers will take the court against the Mississippi State Bulldogs as the nation's No. 1 team but without star Johni Broome.

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Chad Baker-Mazara scored 20 points, and No. 1 Auburn beat No. 15 Mississippi State 88-66 on Tuesday night in its first game without star center Johni Broome.

A pair of top 15 teams at the top of the SEC meet up on Tuesday, Jan. 14 when the No. 1 Auburn Tigers host the No. 15 Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala.

The midway point of college basketball's regular season has passed, and some of the sport's top squads are establishing themselves in an elevated tier of dominance. In particular, the top squads in the ACC and Big 12 are simply dismantling the opposition in head-turning fashion.

Mississippi went into Alabama and knocked off the No. 4 Crimson Tide with a 74-64 stunner. The upset highlighted a marquee night in the SEC with saw three matchups of teams ranked in the top 25. Mississippi held the nation's highest scoring offense more than 27 points below its scoring average.

The Ole Miss Rebels and Auburn Tigers now know the tip-off time and television station for their game in February.

No. 1 Auburn looks to continue its eight-game win streak with a victory against No. 15 Mississippi State. The teams square off Tuesday for the first time this season.

The good news is that Auburn remains the top squad in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency. KenPom forecasts Auburn to score 131.1 points per 100 possessions, nearly six points greater than the No. 2 team, UConn.

Alright, Auburn ... Mississippi State. You just lost at home to Kentucky in a 95-90 shootout, and this begins a BRUTAL run with Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at South Carolina, and Alabama up next.