Auburn women's hoops set for Challenge in Music City

Nov. 23, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The Auburn women's basketball team is spending its Thanksgiving weekend in Nashville, preparing for the Challenge in Music City, which runs Friday-Sunday at Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

The Tigers will take on Georgetown at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Northwestern at 5 p.m. Saturday and UT-Chattanooga at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Auburn (2-1) enters the weekend winners of two straight games after home victories over North Carolina A&T and Louisiana Tech last week. Junior Janiah McKay was the Tigers' leading scorer in both games and is averaging 19.7 points/game so far this season. Freshman Unique Thompson picked up her first collegiate double-double against LA Tech and was named SEC Freshman of the Week.

Georgetown (2-1) comes into the tournament off its first loss of the season; the Hoyas dropped a contest to crosstown rival George Washington on Sunday. Northwestern (4-0) is unbeaten with victories over Chicago State, Oakland, UT Martin and Santa Clara. UT-Chattanooga (2-3) enters the week coming off a road victory over Indiana on Monday.

Friday's game will be Auburn's first against Georgetown and also the first meeting between head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy and her former team. Coach Flo was head coach for the Hoyas for eight seasons from 2004-12. Auburn faces Northwestern for the first time since 1991, and the Tigers will be playing Chattanooga for the 13th time.

Brit Bowen will have the call for all three games on the Auburn Sports Network. Friday's game will air on 99.9 KATE FM, Saturday's game airs on WQSI 95.9 FM and Sunday's game will be on WTGZ 93.9 FM. All three games can be heard on AuburnTigers.com. There is no TV or live video.

Auburn Quick Hitters

- Auburn enters the Challenge in Music City at 2-1 for the season
- Auburn and Georgetown have never met in women's basketball; AU is 3-1 vs. Northwestern and 10-3 vs. UTC
- Head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy faces Georgetown for the first time; she was head coach at GU from 2004-12
- Auburn has won 10 straight and 19 out of its last 20 when forcing at least 25 opponent turnovers
- Auburn's win over North Carolina A&T on Nov. 16 was the 900th win in program history, dating back to 1971-72
- Auburn is the 24th program in NCAA Division I to win 900 women's basketball games
- Under coach Terri Williams-Flournoy, Auburn is 35-3 in non-conference home games
- Freshman Unique Thompson was named SEC Freshman of the Week after her first career double-double (16 pts, 14 rebs) vs. Louisiana Tech (11/19); she had 10 points and 10 rebounds by halftime
- Thompson had six blocks vs. LA Tech, most for Auburn player since 2011 (Jassany Williams, 7 vs. Duke)
- Thompson became the sixth Auburn freshman since 2005 to earn a start in her first collegiate game; she played 34 minutes in the opener at Virginia Tech
- Thompson pulled down 16 rebounds at Virginia Tech, the most by an Auburn player since Tra'Cee Tanner had 19 at Florida Gulf Coast in 2015
- Thompson is averaging a double-double through three games with 12.0 points and 12.3 rebounds
- Junior point guard Janiah McKay is Auburn's top scorer with 19.7 points/game; she also leads team in steals (3.0) and assists (5.0)
- McKay matched her career-high with 29 points vs. Louisiana Tech (11/19); also had 29 vs. Tennessee and Alabama last year
- McKay had a career-high 8 rebounds vs. North Carolina A&T (11/16)
- Sophomore Daisa Alexander scored a career-high 19 points in the season opener at Virginia Tech (11/13); she scored 26 points all of her freshman season
- Alexander is second on the team with 15.0 points/game; she has scored in double-figures all three games
- Junior Erica Sanders had a career-high 6 steals vs. Louisiana Tech (11/19)
- Junior Emari Jones had a career-high 7 rebounds at Virginia Tech (11/13) and earned her first start vs. N.C. A&T (11/16)
- Auburn's 52 rebounds at Virginia Tech were the most since pulling down 57 in an overtime loss at Marquette in 2015
- Auburn is 133-37 all-time in the month of November; Coach Flo is 25-10 in November at Auburn
- Auburn is 60-27 in non-conference games under Terri Williams-Flournoy
- Auburn returns three starters and nine letterwinners from the 2016-17 team
- The Tigers were selected to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season in 2016-17 and finished 17-15 overall
- The Tigers face five non-conference opponents in 2017-18 that advanced to postseason play last year
- Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy is in her sixth season at Auburn, her 14th as a head coach, and her 26th overall in college coaching

Last Time Out

ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Janiah McKay matched a career-high with 29 points, and freshman Unique Thompson had her first career double-double as Auburn pulled away late for a 75-59 win over Louisiana Tech Sunday night at Auburn Arena.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Tigers used their trademark suffocating defense to force Louisiana Tech into 29 turnovers, leading to 31 Auburn points. Strong shooting in the second and fourth quarters helped the Tigers overcome struggles in the first and third.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º McKay made 10-of-19 attempts from the field, including three 3-pointers, and was 6-of-8 at the free-throw line to hit 29 points for the third time in her career, along with games against Virginia Tech and Tennessee last season. She also contributed five assists and five steals in the winning effort.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Thompson finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds for Auburn's first double-double of the year and the first of her career. She had 10 points and 10 rebounds by halftime, becoming the first Auburn player with a double-double by halftime since DeWanna Bonner in 2009. She also had a season-high six blocks, the most by an Auburn player since 2011 (Jassany Williams, 7 vs. Duke).

Noteworthy

AUBURN vs. GEORGETOWN
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn and Georgetown have never met in women's basketball.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy will be facing her previous team for the first time as a head coach. Coach Flo spent eight seasons as Georgetown's head coach, amassing a 143-104 record with NCAA Tournament appearances in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Assistant coach Adrian Walters was an assistant to Coach Flo with the 2012 Georgetown team, and associate head coach Ty Evans was a Georgetown assistant from 2005-07.

SCOUTING GEORGETOWN
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Georgetown enters the tournament at 2-1 overall, following wins over Howard and Loyola and a loss to crosstown rival George Washington.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Hoyas average 73.0 points per game while holding opponents to 53.3. As a team, GU shoots 38.6% from the field and has made an average of 7.7 3-pointers per game.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Preseason All-Big East selection Dionna White leads Georgetown with 20.3 points per game, and Cynthia Petke averages 15.0 points and 14.3 rebounds.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Georgetown was picked to finish fifth in the Big East. The Hoyas finished 17-13 overall, 9-9 Big East, and advanced to the WNIT. James Howard is in his first season as Hoyas' head coach.

AUBURN vs. NORTHWESTERN
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn is 3-1 all-time against Northwestern, but this will be the first meeting between the teams since 1991.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Tigers won the two previous neutral-site meetings with NU. Each team has won its only game on the opponents' home court.

SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Northwestern is 4-0 to start the season, earning early victories over Chicago State, Oakland, UT Martin and Santa Clara.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Northwestern averages 69.8 points/game while holding opponents to 54.0. The Wildcats' closest game has been an 8-point victory at UT Martin. NU shoots 51.0% from the field and 77.4% at the free-throw line.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Abi Scheid leads the Wildcats with 15.3 points/game. P. Kunaiyi-Akpanaha averages a double-double with 13.3 points and 12.3 rebounds.

LAST MEETING (Nov. 24, 1991, in Auburn):
#16 NORTHWESTERN 73, #11 AUBURN 49
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Northwestern ended Auburn's NCAA-record, 68-game home court winning streak with a 73-49 win at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum in the championship game of the Auburn Dial Classic. C.C. Hayden scored 16 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Tigers, who shot just 28.2 percent on the day. Terryland Robinson had five points and eight assists. Four Northwestern players scored in double-figures.

AUBURN vs. UT-CHATTANOOGA
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º This will be the 14th meeting between Auburn and UT-Chattanooga in women's basketball, the first at a neutral site.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn is 7-0 all-time against the Mocs at home, and the teams have split six meetings in Chattanooga. The Mocs have won two of the last three meetings. The teams scrimmaged last year in the preseason at Auburn Arena; Auburn won 71-56.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn senior Tiffany Lewis and Chattanooga senior Shelbie Davenport were high school teammates at Murfreesboro (TN) Riverdale, then college teammates for a year at Clemson.

SCOUTING UT-CHATTANOOGA
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º UT-Chattanooga enters the tournament at 2-3 overall. The Mocs dropped their first three contests to Green Bay, UCF and Stetson, but have won their last two, defeating Presbyterian and Indiana.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º UTC averages 57.8 points per game while giving up 61.6. The Mocs shoot 41.7% from the field.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Keiana Gilbert leads Chattanooga with 14.4 points per game while Lakelyn Bouldin has scored 12.0/game.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Chattanooga was picked to finish second in the Southern Conference. Gilbert and Bouldin were preseason all-SoCon selections. UTC has won five straight regular-season and tournament titles in the SoCon.

LAST MEETING (Nov. 24, 2013, in Auburn):
UT-CHATTANOOGA 80, AUBURN 52
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn dropped to 3-2 on the season with an 80-52 loss at Tennessee-Chattanooga. Turnovers and defensive lapses sealed the fate for the Tigers.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Tra'Cee Tanner came off the bench to lead the Tigers with 14 points and eight rebounds. Kiani Parker added 10 points while Allina Starr tallied team highs with five assists and two steals.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn's youth fueled the team, as freshmen and sophomores accounted for 32 of the Tigers' 52 points. Senior Tyrese Tanner had eight points and five rebounds while freshmen Brandy Montgomery and Katie Frerking added eight and seven points each, respectively.

SCOUTING AUBURN
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn is 2-1 through its first three games with wins over N.C. A&T and Louisiana Tech at home, along with a road loss at Virginia Tech.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Tigers are scoring 67.0 points/game while outrebounding opponents 45-36.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Junior point guard Janiah McKay has scored 15 or more points in each of Auburn's first three games, including matching a career-high with 29 vs. Louisiana Tech. She averaged 12.9 ppg last season, tops among returning players. She led the Tigers in scoring eight times last season and had her first career double-double with 13 points and 13 assists vs. Ole Miss.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Senior forwards Jazmine and Jessica Jones are the TIgers' other two returning starters. Jessica Jones is the team's leading returner in rebounds (5.2/game) and steals (1.4/game) and averaged 3.8 points last season. Jazmine Jones averaged 4.5 points and 4.3 rebounds last season and was a key component of Auburn's trademark pressure defense. Jessica pulled down 10 rebounds in a win over N.C. A&T.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Freshman Unique Thompson has been a breakout star in the Tigers' first three games, averaging 12.0 points and 12.3 rebounds. She had a double-double vs. Louisiana Tech to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Junior Emari Jones earned her first career start vs. North Carolina A&T on Nov. 16. She has averaged 3.7 points and 5.3 rebounds through three games this year.

IRON BOWL
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º When Auburn women's basketball tips off vs. Northwestern at 5 p.m. Saturday, the 82nd Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama will likely be somewhere in the second half. It will be the 14th time that Auburn women's basketball has played the same day as Auburn and Alabama have met on the gridiron.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn women's basketball has an 8-5 record when playing the same day as the Iron Bowl. Both women's hoops and football have won on the same day three times: 1986, 1987 and 2007.

Looking Ahead

ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn returns home on Wednesday, Nov. 29, to face Louisiana-Monroe at 6 p.m. It is Elementary School Night at Auburn Arena; every elementary student in Lee County received a voucher for free admission to the game.