AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn women's basketball team forced a season-high 29 turnovers and turned in their best defensive performance of the season in a 73-46 win over Samford Sunday afternoon at Auburn Arena.
The Tigers (8-1) improved to 5-0 at home and won their 12th straight home non-conference game, and did so in convincing fashion despite shooting below 40 percent for the first time this season.
"I thought we started the game and set the tone right away," Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. "We set the tone and got after them right away. We played well in spurts but did enough to win the basketball game. We shot 39 percent for the game and we have been shooting it a lot better than that. But (we forced) 29 turnovers, which was very good."
Senior Janiah McKay scored a game-high 20 points, her second straight game with at least 20 in the scoring column. She also had a team-leading four steals and four assists. Daisa Alexander added 16 points, and Robyn Benton scored 10 off the bench. Unique Thompson was Auburn's leading rebounder with six.
The Tigers shot 39.1 percent, their lowest of the season, but limited Samford (3-8) to a 37-percent day and fewer scoring opportunities. Auburn also took advantage of several opportunities at the free-throw line, hitting 17-of-20 (85%) on the day. Auburn turned those 29 Samford turnovers into 30 points. Samford's 46 points were also the fewest allowed by Auburn this season; the Tigers held the Bulldogs to single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters before a 22-point outburst by Samford in the fourth.
Auburn jumped out to a 9-0 lead, and Samford would pull no closer the rest of the game. The Tigers led 20-8 after one period and 36-17 at halftime after holding the Bulldogs, who rely heavily on the 3-point shot, to just one trey in the first half.
The Tigers led by as many as 32 in the third quarter and took a 56-24 lead to the final period. Samford found its shooting touch in the final 10 minutes, hitting five 3-pointers to cut the final margin to 27.
Natalie Armstrong had a double-double for Samford with 10 points and 16 rebounds. Shauntai Battle was the Bulldogs' leading scorer with 11.
Auburn hits the road Monday for a three-game, six-day road trip that begins in Myrtle Beach, S.C., for the next two contests. The Tigers will face Coastal Carolina at 5:30 p.m. CT Tuesday and North Carolina at 5:30 p.m. CT Thursday in the Carolinas Challenge at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
Strong defensive effort leads Auburn past Samford 73-46
