AMES, Iowa – Fresh off a thrilling victory at New Mexico on Sunday, the Auburn women's basketball team makes the cross-country trek from Albuquerque to Ames to take on Iowa State in the Preseason WNIT semifinals. Game time is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hilton Coliseum.
After connecting flights took the Tigers from Albuquerque to Phoenix to Des Moines, the team arrived in Ames late Monday afternoon and went through a brief workout at the Cyclones' practice facility.
The Tigers (3-0) will be playing their third game in three states in five days. They will face their toughest test yet in an Iowa State team that returns more than 70 percent of its scoring from a year ago.
Auburn's offense has carried it through the first three contests of 2018-19, averaging 85.3 points per game with five players averaging double figures. The Tigers needed all of their 79 points to hang on against New Mexico Sunday, getting a baseline jumper and free throw from Daisa Alexander with 17 seconds left to earn the victory and advance in the WNIT.
Janiah McKay leads Auburn with 16.3 points per game and is also dishing out an average of 7.7 assists per night. Unique Thompson has two double-doubles in three games, including a 19-point, 19-rebound effort at New Mexico that marked a career-high rebounding performance.
The Cyclones (2-0) earned their way into the semifinals with a pair of home wins over Niagara and Northern Illinois. With similar numbers to Auburn, Iowa State is averaging 82.5 points per game and shooting an even 50 percent from the field. They are led by Bridget Carleton, an All-American a year ago, who is averaging 17.5 points and 14.0 rebounds through two games.
The winner of Tuesday's game will advance to the WNIT Championship Game, set for 3:30 p.m. CT Sunday, where they will face the winner of No. 19 Marquette and No. 24 Miami.
Brit Bowen and J.J. Jackson will have the radio call of Tuesday's game with the pregame show beginning at 6:15 p.m. on WTGZ 93.9 FM. Fans can also watch a live stream via Iowa State's website, Cyclones.com.
QUICK HITS
• Auburn is off to a 3-0 start for the third time in the Coach Flo era
• The Tigers are 0-2 all-time against Iowa State; both previous meetings took place at neutral sites
• Iowa State won the last meeting 68-57 on Nov. 30, 2013 - the same day as the "Kick Six"
• Auburn is 4-1 all-time in the state of Iowa with all five previous games in Iowa City (last: 1999)
• Auburn is 4-7 against current members of the Big 12 Conference
• The Tigers will be playing their third game in three states in five days Tuesday and will have traveled 3,776 miles by the time they return to Auburn Wednesday
• 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 22nd all-time in scoring at Auburn with 19 points at New Mexico; she now has 1,248 points
• McKay leads Auburn in scoring through three games with 16.3 ppg; she also averages 7.7 assists
• Thompson's 19-point, 19-rebound double-double at New Mexico was the 9th of her career; her 19 rebounds were a career-high and the most by an Auburn player since 2015
• Auburn is 70-29 in non-conference games under Terri Williams-Flournoy and has won 15 out of their last 16 at home
• The Tigers have won nine consecutive non-conference games dating back to last season
CROSS-COUNTRY TREK
›› By the time the Tigers return to Auburn on Wednesday, the Tigers will have traveled 3,776 miles and visited five states in five days:
--Auburn to Atlanta Airport: 100 miles
--Atlanta to Albuquerque: 1,271 miles
--Albuquerque to Phoenix: 330 miles
--Phoenix to Des Moines: 1,155 miles
--Des Moines to Ames (and back): 80 miles
--Des Moines to Atlanta: 740 miles
--Atlanta to Auburn: 100 miles
UP NEXT
›› The winner of Tuesday's game will face the winner of Thursday's Miami/Marquette game in the WNIT Championship, which is set for 3:30 p.m. CT Sunday, Nov. 18. The site of the championship game is to be determined.
›› If Auburn does not win, its next game would be Sunday, Nov. 25 at home vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Give Auburn a 4-0 start to the season for the second time under Coach Flo.
›› Advance Auburn to the WNIT Championship Game.
›› Be Auburn's 10th straight non-conference win.
›› Be Auburn's first victory over Iowa State in three meetings.
AUBURN-IOWA STATE SERIES
›› This is the third meeting all-time between Auburn and Iowa State. The Cyclones won the first two meetings in 2001 and 2013.
›› Auburn is 4-7 against current members of the Big 12 Conference. The Tigers are looking for their second road win at a Big 12 opponent; the other came against Baylor in the 2003 Postseason WNIT championship game.
›› The last meeting between Auburn and Iowa State was a 68-57 Cyclones win in a tournament in Las Vegas on Nov. 30, 2013 - the same day as the legendary "Kick Six" in Auburn's 34-28 win over Alabama in the 2013 Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
›› Iowa State is 2-0 after a pair of wins in their first two WNIT games. The Cyclones defeated Niagara 95-35 on Friday and earned a 70-60 win over Northern Illinois on Sunday.
›› The Cyclones return three starters and more than 70 percent of their scoring from their 2017-18 team that finished 14-17 overall, 7-11 in Big 12 play.
›› Senior Bridget Carleton was an honorable mention All-American last season and is on the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 list. She is ISU's leading scorer (17.5 ppg) and rebounder (14.0 rpg) so far this season and has scored in double-figures in 33 straight games.
›› Through two games, the Cyclones are averaging 82.5 points and shooting an even 50% from the floor.
Auburn faces Iowa State in WNIT semifinal Tuesday
