Auburn women host No. 19 Texas A&M Sunday afternoon

Jan. 6, 2018

AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The Auburn women's basketball team plays its second of three consecutive nationally ranked opponents Sunday when No. 19 Texas A&M visits The Plains. Game time is 2 p.m. at Auburn Arena.

Sunday's game is the annual Camper Reunion. All girls that attended Coach Flo's summer basketball camps in 2017 receive free admission by wearing their camp t-shirt. In addition, fans that attend Saturday's men's basketball game vs. Arkansas can receive free admission by showing their ticket from that game.

Auburn (10-4, 1-1 SEC) looks to build off a strong performance that came up just short Thursday night at No. 7 Tennessee. The Tigers led throughout much of the second half and were tied with the Lady Vols with under two minutes to play before UT pulled away in the closing seconds for a 70-59 win. Auburn continued its strong defensive play, forcing Tennessee into a season-high 28 turnovers and continuing the streak of forcing every opponent this season into at least 20 giveaways.

Texas A&M (12-4, 1-1) is ranked No. 19 in both national polls. The Aggies dropped a heartbreaker in their SEC opener at No. 4 South Carolina, 61-59, on Sunday before earning a 74-70 win over Kentucky on Thursday night. A&M is led by freshman Chennedy Carter, the nation's leading scorer among freshmen with 20.8 points per game. The Aggies also have the SEC's top rebounder in junior Anriel Howard, who pulls down 13.0 boards per game.

Auburn came within inches of grabbing a road win in College Station last season, falling 66-61 despite a 32-point performance from then-senior Katie Frerking. The Tigers are seeking their first win over Texas A&M.

Andy Burcham and Larry DiChiara will have the radio call with Brit Bowen in the studio on WTGZ 93.9 FM; air time is 1:45 p.m. Fans can also listen online at AuburnTigers.com, TuneInRadio.com, or via the official Auburn Tigers app. Rod Bramblett and Joe Ciampi will call the action on SEC Network +, which can be seen via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app for mobile devices.

Promotions

- Camper Reunion - Campers from the 2017 summer girls' basketball camps receive free admission with their camp t-shirt
- TicketBack - Free general admission with a ticket from Saturday's men's game vs. Arkansas

Auburn Quick Hitters

- This is the 10th meeting between Auburn and Texas A&M in women's basketball
- Auburn is 0-9 all-time against the Aggies, 0-3 in Auburn
- Seven of the Aggies' nine wins have come since joining the SEC in 2012-13
- Texas A&M is one of three home-and-home opponents for Auburn this season (others: LSU, Alabama)
- Texas A&M won last season's meeting 66-61 in College Station; Katie Frerking had a career-high 32 points in the loss
- Pending the outcome of Auburn's men vs. Arkansas on Saturday, Auburn is the only FBS school in the country to remain unbeaten at home this school year in football (7-0), men's basketball (7-0) and women's basketball (7-0)
- Auburn has won eight straight home games, dating back to the end of the 2016-17 season
- Auburn ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense (4th - 52.8); steals per game (3rd - 15.1); turnovers forced per game (3rd - 25.7) and turnover margin (3rd - +10.1).
- The Tigers tied a school record for fewest turnovers with 5 vs. Florida on Dec. 31 while forcing the Gators into 28
- 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 14 games this season and 25+ turnovers in eight games
- Auburn has won 24 of its last 27 games when forcing at least 25 turnovers (6-2 this season)
- Junior point guard Janiah McKay is Auburn's top scorer with 15.6 points/game; she also leads team and ranks fifth in SEC in assists (4.8) and leads SEC in steals (3.1)
- McKay matched her career-high with 29 points vs. Louisiana Tech (11/19); also had 29 vs. UT and Alabama last year
- McKay had a career-high 8 rebounds vs. North Carolina A&T (11/16)
- 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 earned a second SEC Freshman of the Week nod after back-to-back double-doubles vs. UL-Lafayette and Southern; her 29 points at ULL was a career-high and the second-most ever by an Auburn freshman
- Thompson has 4 double-doubles this season: LA Tech (16/14), ULL (29/12), Southern (18/10), SE Louisiana (10/11)
- 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)
- 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); she also had 21 vs. Florida (12/31)
- Alexander is second on the team with 13.7 points/game; she has scored in double-figures in 12 of 14 games
- Alexander is third in the SEC with 2.6 steals/game
- 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)
- Jones scored a career-high 18 points in the Tigers' win over Florida (12/31)

Last Time Out

ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn and No. 7 Tennessee went back and forth for nearly 40 minutes Thursday night at Thompson-Boling Arena, but the Lady Vols pulled away in the final two minutes for a 70-59 win.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Tigers (10-4, 1-1 SEC) forced the Lady Vols (14-0, 2-0 SEC) into a season-high 28 turnovers and hit four more shots than Tennessee. However, UT was able to take advantage of their opportunities at the free-throw line, hitting 22-of-28 attempts while Auburn attempted just four free throws, hitting three.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Sophomore Daisa Alexander led Auburn with 16 points. Junior Janiah McKay and senior Tiffany Lewis had 10 points apiece. Unique Thompson led Auburn with eight rebounds, and Jessica Jones and Daisa Alexander had four steals apiece. Jones also had two blocks.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º In a game that saw the lead change hands 16 times, Auburn led by as many as five points early and as many as four points midway through the fourth quarter. But with the score tied at 57-57 with two minutes to play, UT finished the game on a 13-2 run with six of those points coming at the free-throw line. The game was tied at halftime, 30-30, and again at the end of three quarters, 44-44. Auburn led 55-51 with less than four minutes to play but made just two shots the rest of the way.

Noteworthy

A WIN OVER TEXAS A&M WOULD...
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Be Auburn's first over the Aggies.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Be Auburn's first win over a ranked opponent since defeating then-No. 16 Florida on Feb. 14, 2016.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Extend Auburn's home winning streak to nine straight games, dating back to the end of the 2017 season.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Improve Auburn to 8-0 at home this season.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Pending the outcome of the Auburn vs. Arkansas men's game on Saturday, continue the trend of being the only FBS school in the country to remain undefeated at home in 2017-18 in football, men's basketball and women's basketball.

AUBURN vs. TEXAS A&M
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Texas A&M is 9-0 all-time against Auburn, including a 7-0 mark since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn had its closest game with the Aggies last year in College Station, dropping a 5-point decision.

LAST MEETING (Feb. 5, 2017, in College Station):
TEXAS A&M 66, AUBURN 61
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Katie Frerking scored a career-high 32 points, but the Tigers fell short at Texas A&M, 66-61.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Tigers shook off a slow start and led by as many as five points in the third quarter, but Texas A&M made several key shots and was solid at the free-throw line down the stretch to secure the win.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Frerking was 13-of-22 from the floor and made three 3-pointers. She also attempted all four of Auburn's free throws in the game -- all in the fourth quarter -- hitting three. Frerking was also Auburn's leading rebounder with eight. Brandy Montgomery added with points, and three players finished with six. Texas A&M was 18-of-23 at the free-throw line and outrebounded Auburn 49-28. The Aggies turned 20 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points. Auburn was only able to force 14 A&M turnovers, a season-low for an Auburn opponent, and converted those into a season-low 12 points.

SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Texas A&M is 12-4 overall, 1-1 in SEC play after a win over Kentucky and a 2-point loss to No. 4 South Carolina.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Aggies are fourth in the SEC with 76.3 points/game and hold opponents to 65.9 points/game. A&M shoots 44.5% from the field, including 36.8% from 3-point range.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Freshman Chennedy Carter leads the Aggies and is second in the SEC with 20.8 points/game. She is also second in the SEC in assists with 5.3/game. Junior Anriel Howard averages an SEC-best 13.0 rebounds/game, the most by an SEC player since Auburn's Lauretta Freeman pulled down 13.8/game during the 1992-93 season.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Texas A&M went 22-12 last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 12th straight year. Gary Blair is in his 33rd season of coaching and his 15th at Texas A&M.

SCOUTING AUBURN
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn is 10-4 on the season, 1-1 SEC, coming off a tough 70-59 loss at No. 7 Tennessee on Thursday. The Tigers beat Florida 84-55 in the SEC opener last Sunday.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Tigers are scoring 65.0 points per game while holding opponents to an SEC-best 52.8. Auburn's scoring defense ranks 4th nationally.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Junior point guard Janiah McKay has scored in double-figures in 13 of the Tigers' 14 games, including matching a career-high with 29 vs. Louisiana Tech. She also leads the SEC in steals (3.1/game) and is fifth in assists (4.8/game).
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Freshman Unique Thompson has been a breakout star, twice earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors while averaging 10.9 points and 9.1 rebounds. She has four double-doubles on the season, including three straight vs. ULL, Southern and Southeastern La.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Senior forward Jazmine Jones is averaging 6.3 points/game, including 9.4 over her last five starts. She had 9 points and a season-high 7 rebounds vs. Florida.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Junior Emari Jones earned her first career start vs. North Carolina A&T on Nov. 16 and has remained in the lineup ever since. She scored a career-high 18 points vs. Florida and is averaging 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Sophomore Daisa Alexander has been another breakout star, averaging 13.7 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. She added 21 points in the win over Florida.
ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º Auburn has forced at least 20 turnovers in all 14 games this season and has forced 25 or more eight times (29 vs. LA Tech; 25 vs. Northwestern, 35 vs. ULM; 26 vs. Southern; 31 vs. SE Louisiana; 30 vs. XULA; 28 vs. Florida; 28 at Tennessee).

Looking Ahead

ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬ºÃƒÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬º The Tigers hit the road for a midweek contest at No. 4 South Carolina. Game time is 6 p.m. CT Thursday in Columbia, S.C., with the broadcast on SEC Network +.