Tigers close non-conference play Wednesday vs. Jacksonville

Dec. 27, 2016

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AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Non-conference play concludes for the Auburn women's basketball team Wednesday as the Tigers host Jacksonville at 6 p.m. at Auburn Arena.

The Tigers (9-4) look to close the pre-SEC portion of the schedule on a high note as the defending Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament champion Dolphins (9-3) visit The Plains. Auburn went 1-1 last week at the Tulane Classic, picking up an 85-80 win over Drake before dropping a 61-59 nailbiter to Tulane in the championship game.

Senior Katie Frerking enters Wednesday night just 16 points shy of 1,000 for her career. It's been a stellar season so far for the Johns Creek, Ga., native, as she leads the Tigers in scoring (16.5 points/game), rebounding (7.8/game), steals (3.2/game) and assists (3.1/game). Her 3.2 steals lead the SEC, and she ranks in the league's top 10 in scoring and rebounding.

Sophomore Janiah McKay also looks to keep up her strong play of late. She scored 28 points in the Tigers' tough overtime loss to No. 24 Virginia Tech on Dec. 18, then followed that up with a 25-point game vs. Drake last Wednesday. It's the first time an Auburn player has scored 25 or more points in back-to-back games since Alli Smalley (Bracewell) accomplished the feat in 2010.

Jacksonville saw a seven-game winning streak snapped in its last outing as the Dolphins fell to North Carolina 87-57 in a neutral site game in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Dolphins' other two losses this season have come to top-25 foes in Florida State and South Florida. JU upset Florida Gulf Coast to win the A-Sun Tournament last season and advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Andy Burcham and Brit Bowen will have the radio broadcast on WTGZ 93.9 FM beginning at 5:45 p.m. CT. Fans can also listen live via TuneIn Radio or the above link to AuburnTigers.com. Rod Bramblett and Joe Ciampi will call the action on SEC Network +; fans can watch online via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app on mobile devices.

Promotions

- Photo Booth - Inside the scholarship entrance
- Season Ticket Holder T-Shirt Pickup - In scholarship lobby through end of first quarter
- Posters, Schedule Magnets, Key Tags, Pocket Schedule Giveaway
- Kid's Zone - Inflatable dunk pit, cookie & ornament decorating, coloring station and more

Auburn Quick Hitters

- Katie Frerking needs just 16 points for 1,000 in her career
- As of Dec. 23, Auburn ranks third in the nation in turnovers forced (24.7/game), is seventh in the nation in steals (13.3/game), and sixth in turnover margin (+8.5)
- Auburn is 32-3 in home non-conference games under Terri Williams-Flournoy and 41-7 in all non-conference games at Auburn Arena
- This is the second all-time meeting between Auburn and Jacksonville; Auburn won 85-49 in 2012
- The Tigers are 4-1 all-time vs. opponents from the Atlantic Sun Conference (1-1 vs. FGCU; 1-0 vs. Jacksonville, USC Upstate, Stetson)
- Auburn has held six of 13 opponents at least 10 points below their season scoring average
- Six of Auburn's 11 opponents have been held to a season-low scoring total
- Auburn was ranked No. 23 in the Week 4 AP Top 25; it was the first ranking for Auburn since 2009
- Auburn is 6-0 this season and 34-6 under Coach Flo when forcing 25+ turnovers; Auburn forced 38 vs. Troy, 27 at North Carolina A&T, 30 at East Carolina, 27 vs. Ball State, 30 vs. Marist; 28 vs. Savannah State
- Eleven of 13 Auburn opponents have committed at least 20 turnovers
- Auburn scored 62 points in the second half vs. Drake; the most in a half since 2008 and two points shy of a school record for points in a half
- Auburn trailed Indiana by 17 points in the fourth quarter before mounting a comeback for a 71-67 win on Nov. 27
- Auburn's 32 fourth-quarter points vs. Indiana were the most in a single period since women's basketball went to a four-quarter game in 2015-16
- The Tigers scored 31 points in both the third and fourth quarters vs. Drake
- Janiah McKay scored a career-high 28 points and helped force overtime vs. Virginia Tech (12/18); she followed that up with 25 points vs. Drake (12/21)
- Katie Frerking leads Auburn with 16.5 points/game; Brandy Montgomery is second with 15.5 points/game
- Frerking also leads Auburn in rebounds (7.8), assists (3.1) and steals (3.2)
- Frerking scored a career-high 30 points and had 11 rebounds at Louisiana Tech (12/14)
- Frerking has double-doubles in four games this year; she had two in her career entering the season
- Frerking leads the SEC and ranks among the nation's leaders with 3.1 steals per game
- Frerking had a career-high 7 steals in the win at N.C. A&T, then matched that with 7 vs. Indiana
- Montgomery scored 28 points in the comeback win over Indiana, including 16 in the fourth quarter and 10 straight over a 2-minute stretch to tie the game
- Auburn's 32-point win over North Carolina A&T was its largest margin of victory in a road game since Nov. 11, 2011 at Mercer (34 points; 77-43)
- Jessica Jones set career-highs in rebounds (8), steals (5) and blocks (4) in the first two games; she bettered her rebounding high with 11 against Drake and matched her blocks high with 4 vs. West Virginia

Last Time Out

ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn fought back from a 14-point third-quarter deficit but came up just short Thursday night in a 61-59 loss to Tulane in the championship game of the Tulane Classic.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º After a slow start, the Tigers (9-4) shot 51.8 percent in the second half and made a late charge to within one point midway through the fourth quarter, but Tulane (8-4) hit several clutch shots down the stretch to hold on for the win.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn was led by Katie Frerking, who scored all 15 of her points in the second half. She also led the Tigers with six rebounds and six steals. Janiah McKay shook off a slow start to finish with 13 points, and Brandy Montgomery added 11. Erica Sanders matched a career-high with four steals; the Tigers had 15 as a team. Frerking and McKay were named to the all-tournament team.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º After forcing just four Tulane turnovers in the first half, Auburn came away with 16 in the second half, turning the Green Wave's 20 turnovers into 27 points. But Tulane was able to control the offensive glass, pulling down 13 offensive rebounds and converting those into 11 points. Both teams made 22 field goals, and both teams made nine 3-pointers ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" matching a season-high for Auburn.

Noteworthy

SERIES HISTORY
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º This is the second meeting between Auburn and Jacksonville. Auburn won the previous meeting on Dec. 22, 2012, in Auburn, 85-49.

SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Jacksonville is 9-3 on the season and saw a seven-game winning streak snapped in their last outing, a 87-57 neutral site loss to North Carolina. Three of the Dolphins' wins are against non-DI opponents, but JU's other two losses are to top-25 teams Florida State and South Florida.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Dolphins average 71.0 points per game and outscore their opponents by an average of 10.9 points. JU excels at rebounding, averaging 44.0 per game (22nd nationally), and getting to the free throw line with 273 FT attempts on the year (16th nationally).
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Sherranda Reddick is the nation's 22nd-leading scorer with 20.1 points/game to lead the Dolphins. She ranks fifth nationwide in 3-point FGs with 3.8 per game, and she is 25th in the nation in 3-point percentage (46.5%). Kimberly Dawkins leads JU in rebounds with 8.8.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Jacksonville upset Florida Gulf Coast in the Atlantic Sun Championship Game last season to earn a berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Dolphins finished 22-11 overall, 11-3 in the ASun, and return four starters from that team.

LAST MEETING: AUBURN 85, JU 49 (12/22/12)
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn picked up its seventh-straight win and 10th of the season with an 85-49 victory over Jacksonville Saturday at Auburn Arena. The Tigers improved to 10-2, while the Dolphins fell to 4-7.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Despite not scoring, Najat Ouardad picked up one third of Auburn's assists, setting her career-high with nine.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Tra'Cee Tanner led the Tigers in scoring and notched her first double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Tanner shot 83 percent from the floor with a career-high 10 field goals made. She and her sister, Tyrese, combined for their best game of the season with 37 points and 15 rebounds. Tyrese Tanner tied her season high in field goals made, shooting 7-for-15 from the floor, to score 16.

SCOUTING AUBURN
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn is 9-4 with one game remaining in non-conference play. All of Auburn's losses have come by five points or less, and the Tigers have had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead in the final seconds of regulation in all four games.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Tigers are one of the nation's top teams in forcing turnovers with 24.7 per game (3rd in NCAA). Auburn is seventh in the nation in steals per game (13.3) and first nationwide in total steals (173). The Tigers lead the SEC and rank sixth in the nation in turnover margin (+8.5).
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Katie Frerking is Auburn's leading scorer with 16.5 points/game. She also leads the Tigers in rebounds (7.8), steals (3.2) and assists (3.1). Her 3.2 steals per game lead the SEC and rank 22nd in the nation. Frerking has posted all four of Auburn's double-doubles this season and had a career-high 30 points in a win at Louisiana Tech on Dec. 14.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Brandy Montgomery is Auburn's second-leading scorer with 15.5 points/game. She was named to the preseason All-SEC Second Team by the league's coaches. She scored a season-high 28 points - 16 in the fourth quarter - to lead Auburn's comeback from a 17-point deficit against Indiana on Nov. 27.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Junior forward Jessica Jones has been a force defensively for the Tigers, posting a career-high four blocks twice already this year and pulling down a career-high 11 rebounds vs. Drake. She leads the Tigers in blocks with 1.3/game. She also had five steals in the opener vs. Troy.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Sophomore point guard Janiah McKay and junior forward Jazmine Jones are the Tigers' other two returning starters. McKay scored a career-high 28 points to lead Auburn's comeback against Virginia Tech, then scored 25 in a victory over Drake three days later. She contributed a career-high eight assists in a Dec. 11 win over Savannah State.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Jones started all 33 games as a sophomore and had one of the best shooting percentages on the team, shooting 51.5% from the floor. She scored a season-high 10 points and had a career-high five steals vs. Drake on Dec. 21.

BIG NUMBERS IN THE BIG EASY
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º After scoring just 23 points in the first half against Drake, the Tigers scored 62 in the second half, their highest-scoring half in eight years, to post an 85-80 win. It was the highest-scoring half since scoring 62 in the second half vs. Sam Houston State in 2008, and the Tigers came within two points of a school record for points in a half (64 vs. Jacksonville State, 1/19/99).
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Along with 87 points vs. Virginia Tech on Dec. 18, Auburn's 85 points vs. Drake gave it a two-game scoring total of 172 points. That's the most points for Auburn in consecutive games since Nov. 15 & 18, 2012, when Auburn scored 80 vs Alabama State and 93 vs. Alabama A&M for 173 points over two games.

Looking Ahead

The Tigers open SEC play on New Year's Day as they travel to Gainesville, Fla., to face Florida at 1 p.m. CT.