For only the second time in the past month and a half, Auburn can say it’s working on building a win streak.

The first time, after the Tigers’ 79-64 road win over South Carolina on Jan. 29, didn’t go so well, as they were controlled from the beginning in a 13-point home loss to Tennessee five days later.

The second time comes after Auburn’s near-impossible comeback win against Mississippi State, one in which it trailed by 19 with 11:24 to go — and 14 with 4:21 to go — before blitzing the Bulldogs to the tune of a 17-0 run over 3:53 to take a 65-62 win.

Tigers coach Tony Barbee feels as if that’s something to build on, and he thinks it all comes from the defensive end.

“What we’ve done defensively, the kids are really starting to understand the effect that you can have on a game guarding your butts off every single play,” Barbee said. “And that is where we have made the biggest strides here lately, and why we have been in some very competitive.”

The Tigers allowed the Bulldogs a number of open looks in the first half Saturday, resulting in an 8-for-15 half from the field in which the visitors only took eight shots from inside the arc.

Auburn was more effective pestering Mississippi State’s shooters and ballhandlers in the second half, as the Bulldogs hit only 1-of-9 from beyond the arc and committed 11 turnovers against only four assists.

The Bulldogs coughed the ball up five times during the Tigers’ game-winning run and didn’t even get a shot up.

“It is gratifying because of what these kids have put in all year long, and they haven’t backed down given our record,” Barbee said. “So it is always neat to see them when down 19, not hang their heads, not act like it was over and keep battling every single possession. When the tide started to turn, the momentum even shifted more in our favor.”

Ole Miss (16-9, 4-6 SEC), which the Tigers (9-15, 2-8) travel to take on at 7 p.m. tonight, has the kind of player that can shred a defense if left alone in senior guard Chris Warren.

Warren ranks second in the conference in scoring (18.6 ppg), is tied for second with 66 3-pointers and is first in the SEC in free-throw percentage (93.8).

He also dishes out 3.7 assists per game.

“Obviously, it starts with Chris Warren and his ability to dominate the game from the point guard position and score the ball from long range,” Barbee said. “It’s more than just Chris. Reginald Buckner (a 6-foot-9 forward) can control the paint and with (6-10) Terrance Henry playing inside, it will be a difficult matchup.”

Ole Miss had a three-game win streak snapped in a 74-64 loss to Alabama on Saturday, one in which the Rebels trailed by as many as 23 in the second half before getting as close as 6 down the stretch.

“Life on the road in the conference is always difficult,” Barbee said. “We go to a place in Ole Miss where they have been playing extremely well.”

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Auburn (9-15, 2-8) at Ole Miss (16-9, 4-6)
Where: C.M. “Tad” Smith Coliseum, Oxford, Miss.

When: 7 p.m.

Radio/TV: WKKR (97.7 FM)/SEC Network (Channel 8 or 12 in Lee County)

Projected starters, Auburn: F Allen Payne, 6-6, Fr. (6.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.0 spg); F Kenny Gabriel, 6-8, Jr. (9.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg); F Adrian Forbes, 6-8, Jr. (3.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.6 bpg); G Josh Wallace, 5-10, So. (5.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.9 apg); G Earnest Ross, 6-5, So. (13.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Projected starters, Ole Miss: F Terrance Henry, 6-10, Jr. (8.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.2 apg); F Reginald Buckner, 6-9, So. (7.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.1 bpg); G Chris Warren, 5-10, Sr. (18.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.7 apg); G Nick Williams, 6-4, So. (7.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.6 apg); G Zach Graham, 6-6, Sr. (14.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.6 apg)