Tigers set for road/home back-to-back with ULL, Southern

Dec. 7, 2017

AUBURN, Ala. -- The Auburn women's basketball team plays a rare road/home back-to-back this weekend, traveling to Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday night before returning home to face Southern on Saturday evening.

Game time for Friday's game at the Cajundome is 7 p.m., and Saturday's home game is set for a 6:30 p.m. start. The Saturday game is the second half of a men's & women's doubleheader at Auburn Arena; Auburn's men are set to face UAB at 3:30 p.m.

Fans with tickets for only the women's game Saturday will be admitted to the arena after halftime of the men's game, and fans with tickets for the men's game only are encouraged to stay for the women's game. The arena will not be cleared between games. Men's basketball parking regulations are in effect for the doubleheader. Tickets are available for both games at AUBTix.com or by visiting the Auburn Arena Ticket Office.

Saturday is the annual Toys for Tots Drive - fans can receive a free general admission ticket for the women's game with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy at the gate. Santa Claus will also be in attendance for the women's game.

Auburn (5-3) is coming off a road win Sunday at Indiana and carries a two-game winning streak to Lafayette. The Tigers are led by senior Janiah McKay with 16.5 points/game and a team-best 4.5 assists and 2.9 steals per game. Sophomore Daisa Alexander scored a career-high 25 points in the win at Indiana and is second on the squad with 13.4 points/game.

The Ragin' Cajuns (3-5) snapped a three-game losing streak with a triple-overtime win over McNeese State on Sunday. Auburn will be making its first visit to the Cajundome; the Tigers won the only prior meeting between the teams in 2005. Southern (1-3) is in the midst of playing 10 straight games away from home; the Jaguars' last three games came on the road at Power Five opponents Indiana, Wisconsin and Oklahoma State.

Andy Burcham has the call of both games on WTGZ 93.9 FM with airtime 15 minutes prior to tip. Fans can listen online at AuburnTigers.com, the official Auburn Tigers app for mobile devices, or via TuneIn Radio. Friday's game will be live streamed at RaginCajuns.com. Saturday's game will be shown by SEC Network +, available via ESPN.com or the ESPN app.

Promotions

- Doubleheader - Fans that attend the Auburn men's game vs. UAB at 3:30 are encouraged to stay for the women's game
- Toys for Tots Drive - Free general admission ticket to the women's game with donation of one new, unwrapped toy
- Santa Claus!
- Finals Week - Students receive free test materials (scantrons, pencils, etc.) in 1st half; drawings for gift cards for students at halftime

Parking and Ticket Information

With Saturday's game being part of a doubleheader with the Auburn men's team, men's basketball parking regulations are in effect. Fans must have a men's basketball S Lot pass to park in the main arena lot off S. Donahue Drive. Free public parking is available in the East Coliseum lot, Stadium Deck (1st/2nd levels only), Village, and others within close proximity to Auburn Arena. For more parking information and a full list of available lots, click here.

Key things to know:

- The arena will not be cleared between games.
- Fans who attend the men's game are encouraged to stay in the arena for the women's game.
- Women's tickets take priority for reserved seating (sections A-C and 101-104) once the men's game ends. Fans with only men's tickets should move to general admission seating.
- Tickets to the women's game will go on sale around halftime of the men's game.
- Tickets for the women's game will be accepted for admission to the arena beginning in the second half of the men's game.

Auburn Quick Hitters

- Friday will be Auburn's second all-time meeting with UL-Lafayette and the first on the road
- Auburn won the previous meeting with ULL, a 65-55 win on Dec. 17, 2005, in Auburn
- Saturday will be the fifth time Auburn and Southern have met in women's basketball, the first since 2001
- The Tigers are 4-0 all-time against the Jaguars with all four wins coming in Auburn
- Auburn is 2-0 against the state of Louisiana this season and plays its next four games (eight total this season) against teams from the Pelican State
- Auburn has a 61-29 all-time record against teams from Louisiana
- The Tigers are 92-13 all-time against current members of the Sun Belt Conference and have won 41 straight against the SBC
- Auburn is 37-2 all-time against opponents from the SWAC, 27-0 at home
- Auburn ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense (8th - 52.1); steals per game (6th - 14.5); and turnovers forced per game (8th - 24.6)
- Auburn forced a season-high 35 turnovers vs. UL-Monroe, second-most under Williams-Flournoy and 8th-most in Auburn history
- Auburn has forced at least 20 turnovers in all eight games this season
- Auburn has won 20 of its last 22 games when forcing at least 25 turnovers (2-1 this season)
- Junior point guard Janiah McKay is Auburn's top scorer with 16.5 points/game; she also leads team in assists (4.5) and steals (2.9)
- McKay matched her career-high with 29 points vs. Louisiana Tech (11/19); also had 29 vs. Tennessee and Alabama last year; she's scored at least 15 in 6 of 8 games this 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); then topped that career-high with 25 points at Indiana (12/3)
- Alexander is second on the team with 13.4 points/game; she has scored in double-figures in six of eight games
- McKay and Alexander rank second and third, respectively, in the SEC in steals; McKay averages 2.9, Alexander 2.6
- 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 missed two games with injury suffered vs. Northwestern (11/25), returned to lineup at Indiana (12/3)
- 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 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

Last Time Out

>> Behind a career-high 25 points from Daisa Alexander and clutch free-throw shooting in the fourth quarter, Auburn held off a late Indiana rally for a 65-53 win over the Hoosiers Sunday afternoon at Assembly Hall.
>> The Tigers (5-3) saw a 15-point lead whittled down to just one point early in the fourth quarter, but Auburn's best free-throw shooting effort of the season saved the day as the Tigers hit 10-of-11 attempts at the line in the final period to seal the victory.
>> Alexander shattered her previous career-high with 25 points, scoring 12 of those in the fourth quarter as the Tigers pulled away late. She was 9-of-14 from the floor and hit three 3-pointers, then knocked down all four of her free-throw attempts. Two of those came on drives to the basket where she was fouled, made the layup and calmly sank the free throw.
>> Senior Janiah McKay scored 22 points and filled the stat sheet with a team-leading five rebounds, six assists and six steals while playing a career-high 38 minutes. She made six free throws on eight attempts, including 5-of-6 in the fourth quarter.

Noteworthy

BACK-TO-BACK
>> Auburn is playing games on consecutive days at different sites for the first time since the 2003-04 season. That year, Auburn played at Army (West Point, N.Y.) on Dec. 20 then followed that up with a game at Marist (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) on Dec. 21. The schools are 33 miles apart. The Tigers won both games.
>> The last time Auburn played a road game followed by a home game the next day came in the 1996-97 season. On Feb. 2, Auburn earned a 60-59 win at Kentucky, then came home to face Jacksonville State the next day, a 77-46 victory over the Gamecocks.

AUBURN vs. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
>> This will be just the second meeting between Auburn and Louisiana-Lafayette in women's basketball. Auburn won 65-55 in the only prior meeting in 2005.

SCOUTING LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
>> Louisiana-Lafayette is 3-5 on the season with wins over New Orleans, Cleveland State and a 3OT victory over McNeese State. The Ragin' Cajuns have played two SEC opponents, falling to Texas A&M and Mississippi State.
>> The Cajuns average 60.5 points/game while giving up 70.6. ULL shoots 37.6% from the field.
>> Skyler Goodwin leads the Cajuns with 14.0 points/game, shooting 42.2% from the field and 52.9% from 3-point range.

AUBURN vs. SOUTHERN
>> This will be fifth meeting between Auburn and Southern in women's basketball. Auburn is 4-0 all-time against the Jaguars with all four prior meetings at home.
>> The teams last met in 2001 with Auburn winning 57-46.

SCOUTING SOUTHERN
>> Southern is 1-3 this season with all three losses to Power-5 conference teams. The Jaguars have a home win over the University of Mobile along with losses to Indiana, Wisconsin and Oklahoma State.
>> Against Division I opponents, Southern is averaging 63.0 points/game while giving up 78.3. For the season, the Jaguars shoot 35.3% from the field
>> Briana Green is SUBR's leading scorer (11.8 ppg) and rebounder (7.0 rpg). Samantha Duncan averages 10.5 points/game and is a perfect 12-for-12 at the free-throw line this season.

SCOUTING AUBURN
>> Auburn is 5-3 entering the weekend, coming off a 65-53 victory on the road at Indiana on Sunday.
>> The Tigers are scoring 60.2 points per game while holding opponents to an SEC-best 52.1. Auburn's scoring defense ranks 7th nationally.
>> Junior point guard Janiah McKay has scored 15 or more points in six of Auburn's first eight 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.
>> 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, and Jazmine matched a career-high with five steals vs. ULM.
>> Freshman Unique Thompson has been a breakout star in the Tigers' first few games, averaging 9.7 points and 9.0 rebounds. She had a double-double vs. Louisiana Tech to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
>> Junior Emari Jones earned her first career start vs. North Carolina A&T on Nov. 16. She has averaged 3.8 points and 4.5 rebounds so far this year.
>> Sophomore Daisa Alexander has been another breakout star, averaging 13.4 points off the bench. In just 20 minutes vs. Indiana, she scored a career-high 25 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter to help Auburn pull away.
>> Auburn has forced at least 20 turnovers in all eight games this season and has forced 25 or more three times (29 vs. LA Tech; 25 vs. Northwestern, 35 vs. ULM).

Looking Ahead

>> After a week off for final exams, Auburn plays one more game before Christmas as Southeastern Louisiana visits Auburn Arena on Dec. 19. Game time is 6 p.m.