NEW ORLEANS – Senior Emari Jones scored 16 points to lead three Tigers in double-figures as Auburn women's basketball defeated Xavier (La.) 77-58 Wednesday night.
It was the 250th career head coaching victory for Auburn's Terri Williams-Flournoy, now in her seventh season at Auburn and 15th as a collegiate head coach.
"We actually did some things pretty well," Williams-Flournoy said. "I thought our defense was a little better. They're figuring it out. It's going to get better. There's one thing about this team that everyone knows – they love to score. Everyone coming off the bench, everyone on the floor, they love to score. I had to tell them a few times, 'Let's rotate the ball, let's move the ball a little,' because we were putting up shots too quickly."
Auburn (5-1) took advantage of 25 turnovers by the Gold Nuggets, turning those into 24 points. The Tigers also used a big early run in the third quarter to break open what had been a nine-point game at the half.
Jones' 16 points led all scorers; she also added four rebounds and a pair of assists. Unique Thompson finished with 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds, and Daisa Alexander used a 10-point third quarter to finish with 13 along with six rebounds and five assists. Janiah McKay had a team-leading seven assists along with nine points and five rebounds.
The Tigers shot 43.9 percent from the floor and hit a season-high 10 3-pointers – four from Jones – and had 22 assists on their 29 field goals. Auburn also recorded 14 steals; Thompson and Alexander had three apiece.
Auburn opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run to push a nine-point halftime lead to 16 at 46-30. The Gold Nuggets would cut the lead to as few as nine late in the period, but a 3-pointer at the buzzer from Alexander gave Auburn a 59-44 lead headed to the fourth.
Auburn saw balanced scoring through a well-played first half on both sides that saw the Tigers take a 39-30 lead to the break. Jones had 10 first-half points and 10 of 11 Auburn players scored as the Tigers shot 46.9 percent from the floor. But Xavier was hot from outside, hitting four 3-pointers to keep things within single-digits.
All 11 players in uniform saw extended playing time, including 14 minutes from freshman Brooke Moore, who had three points in her Auburn debut.
Jas Hill led Xavier with 13 points and Nahrie Pierce added 10. The Gold Nuggets played the game as an exhibition, but the records and statistics count for Auburn.
The Tigers are back in Auburn Arena on Sunday afternoon for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge where Auburn will host Oklahoma. Game time is 3 p.m. CT; fans can pick up an Aubie holiday ornament while supplies last.
Coach Flo wins 250th as Auburn tops XULA 77-58
