AUBURN, Ala. – Less than 48 hours after winning their first-round game at home in the Preseason WNIT, the Auburn women's basketball team travels to Albuquerque, N.M., to face New Mexico in the quarterfinal. Game time is 3 p.m. CT Sunday.
The Tigers (2-0) faced a quick turnaround after their 80-59 victory over Nicholls State on Friday night, beginning their journey west just 16 hours after learning their destination for Sunday's contest.
Auburn's offense has carried the Tigers through the first two games, scoring a combined 177 points through 80 minutes of play so far in 2018-19. Balanced scoring has contributed to the effort with six players averaging double-digit points through the first two games.
Junior Daisa Alexander leads the way with 16.5 points/game after a 20-point effort in the win over Nicholls. Senior Janiah McKay is scoring 15.0 points/night through two games and has also dished out 17 assists through the opening pair of contests. And sophomore Unique Thompson is averaging a double-double with 10.0 points and 11.5 rebounds over the first two games.
In the win over Nicholls, the Tigers were also able to use their trademark defense to slow down the Colonels, forcing 24 turnovers (with 18 steals) and turning those into 29 points. Auburn forced at least 20 turnovers in 23 of 29 games last season.
New Mexico (1-0) defeated Texas State 82-51 in their opening-round WNIT game Friday night. The Lobos won 25 games last year and were the top-scoring team in the Mountain West.
Brit Bowen will have the radio call courtside with J.J. Jackson in the studio on WTGZ 93.9 FM and online at AuburnTigers.com. Fans can also watch online via the Mountain West Network; links to the live stream are available at AuburnTigers.com and GoLobos.com.
QUICK HITS
• This is the second meeting between Auburn and New Mexico; the Tigers defeated the Lobos 69-41 in 1986
• Auburn is playing in the state of New Mexico for the first time
• Auburn is 4-3 all-time against current members of the Mountain West Conference
• Auburn is playing in the Preseason WNIT for the first time
• The Tigers scored at least 80 points in each of their first two games; Auburn scored 80 points just twice all last season
• The Tigers scored 97 points against Grambling (11/6), the most of the Coach Flo era and the highest total since scoring 119 vs. Sam Houston State in 2008
• Under Coach Flo, Auburn is 4-0 when scoring at least 90 points and 25-1 when scoring at least 80 points
• Six Auburn players scored in double-figures vs. Grambling; the first time Auburn has done that since 2008 vs. Sam Houston State
• Janiah McKay (16 pts/10 assists) and Unique Thompson (14 pts/13 rebs) both had double-doubles in the season-opening win over Grambling; Thompson now has 8 double-doubles in 29 career games
• McKay moved up to 23rd all-time in scoring at Auburn with 14 points vs. Nicholls; she now has 1,229 points
• McKay is 6-for-6 at the free-throw line so far in 2018-19; she shot 82.8% (130-157) at the line last season and made 20 straight at one point
• Daisa Alexander leads Auburn in scoring through two games with 15.5 points/game; scored 20 vs. Nicholls
• Emari Jones has scored in double-digits and pulled down 8 rebounds in each of the first two games
• Auburn is 69-29 in non-conference games under Terri Williams-Flournoy and has won 15 out of their last 16 at home
• The Tigers have won eight consecutive non-conference games dating back to last season
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
• Give Auburn a 3-0 start to the season.
• Advance Auburn to the WNIT semifinals.
• Be Auburn's ninth straight non-conference win.
• Improve Auburn's record against opponents from the Mountain West Conference to 5-3.
AUBURN-NEW MEXICO SERIES
• This is the second meeting all-time between Auburn and New Mexico. The Tigers defeated the Lobos 69-41 on Jan. 3, 1986, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• Sunday's game will be Auburn's first in the state of New Mexico. This will be the 36th different state in which Auburn women's basketball has played (along with Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; The Bahamas; and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
• Auburn will be playing a road game at a Mountain West Conference opponent for the first time. The Tigers previously played at Nevada and UNLV, but it was while both schools were members of the WAC.
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO
• New Mexico is 1-0 after an opening 82-51 win over Texas State Friday night in their opening-round WNIT game.
• The Lobos won 25 games and advanced to the postseason WNIT last season. New Mexico was picked to finish fifth in the Mountain West this season.
• Jaisa Nunn averaged a double-double last season with 17.0 points and a league-leading 10.2 rebounds per game. In their opener vs. Texas State, Nunn had 14 points and 3 rebounds in just 18 minutes of action.
• Aisia Robertson led New Mexico with 17 points, and Shaiquel McGruder led the Lobos with 13 rebounds in the Texas State win.
• Last year, the Lobos averaged 80.4 points per game to lead the Mountain West. UNM also made 319 3-pointers to rank 11th in the NCAA.
UP NEXT
• The winner of Sunday's game will play the winner of Iowa State/Northern Illinois. Date, time and location are to be determined.
• The loser of Sunday's game will play the loser of one of the other three WNIT quarterfinal games on Nov. 16 or 17. Date, time and location are to be determined.
Tigers travel to New Mexico for WNIT quarterfinal
