MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Auburn women's basketball team continues a stretch of four games in seven days this week at the Carolinas Challenge, where the Tigers will play Tuesday and Thursday at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
Auburn (8-1) will face Coastal Carolina (7-1) at 5:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, then the Tigers will take on North Carolina (7-4) at 5:30 p.m. CT Thursday.
The Tigers are coming off a 73-46 victory over Samford Sunday afternoon that saw Auburn force a season-high 29 turnovers in their best defensive effort of the season so far. Senior Janiah McKay scored 20 points to lead the Tigers while junior Daisa Alexander added 16.
Auburn is looking to extend a five-game winning streak and continue to build on its best start to a season in more than 10 years.
Andy Burcham and Brit Bowen will have the call of both games on WTGZ 93.9 FM and online at AuburnTigers.com beginning at 5:15 p.m. both days. Live stats for both games will be available at statbroadcast.com.
QUICK HITS
• This is the first meeting between Auburn and Coastal Carolina in women's basketball
• Auburn is 94-13 all-time against the Sun Belt Conference, including a 1-0 mark this season (Louisiana-Lafayette)
• Auburn and North Carolina will be meeting for the fourth time; the Tigers are 3-0 all-time against the Tar Heels
• At 8-1, Auburn is off to its best start since the 2008-09 season, when the Tigers won their first 20 games en route to an SEC Championship
• The Tigers have five players averaging double-figure scoring, more than any other SEC team
• Auburn is 75-30 in non-conference games under Terri Williams-Flournoy and has won 18 out of their last 19 at home
• The Tigers have won 12 consecutive home non-conference games dating back to the 2016-17 season
• Auburn is 235-55 all-time in the month of December; Coach Flo is 35-9 in December at Auburn
• The Tigers forced a season-high 29 turnovers in a 73-46 win over Samford on Dec. 16
• Senior Janiah McKay passed Tra'Cee Tanner for 17th all-time in scoring at Auburn with 20 points vs. Samford; she now has 1,331 points
• McKay is fourth in the SEC with 5.3 assists/game; she is 10th all-time at Auburn with 362 career assists
AUBURN VS. COASTAL CAROLINA
›› This is the first meeting between Auburn and Coastal Carolina in women's basketball.
SCOUTING THE CHANTICLEERS
›› Coastal Carolina is 7-1 on the season and winners of five straight coming into the Carolinas Challenge. The Chanticleers topped the century mark in each of their last two games, defeating a pair of Division III schools - Meredith (128-39) and N.C. Wesleyan (126-65).
›› The Chanticleers average 86.4 points per game - 6th-best in the nation - and shoot 47.0 percent from the field. CCU is also ninth nationally in rebounding margin, pulling down 13.3 more per game than their opponents.
›› DJ Williams leads the Chants with 17.5 points/game and shoots 57.6 percent from the field. Ten of CCU's players shoot better than 40% for the year. Caitlin Roche is the leading 3-point shooter for the Chants, averaging 3.5 3s and 15.5 points per game.
›› CCU was picked to finish eight in the Sun Belt by the league's coaches.
AUBURN VS. NORTH CAROLINA
›› This is the fourth meeting between Auburn and North Carolina in women's basketball. The Tigers are 3-0 in previous meetings.
SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS
›› North Carolina is 7-4 overall on the season coming into the week. The Tar Heels own signature wins over UCLA and South Florida and come into the week after two straight wins over UNCW and UNCG.
›› The Tar Heels are averaging 76.5 points/game and giving up 67.5 per game. UNC averages 8.5 3-pointers per game.
›› Stephanie Watts is UNC's leading scorer with 16.8 points/game, followed closely by Janelle Bailey, who averages 16.7. Watts is one of the nation's top 3-point shooters, shooting 41.8% (38-of-91).
SCOUTING AUBURN
›› Auburn is 8-1 on the season. Since dropping a 3-point decision at Iowa State on Nov. 13, the Tigers have won five straight games.
›› Senior point guard Janiah McKay averages a team-leading 14.7 points/game and has topped 20 points in each of her last two outings. She is also fourth in the SEC with 5.3 assists/game. McKay is the Tigers' leading returning scorer for the second straight season after averaging 16.6 ppg last season. McKay ranks 17th in career scoring at Auburn with 1,331 points.
›› Sophomore forward Unique Thompson is a force under the basket and has been key to Auburn's success early this year. She has five double-doubles in nine games and averages 13.3 points and 11.8 rebounds. As a freshman last season, she averaged 11.5 ppg and 8.4 rpg with 7 double-doubles, tying the Auburn freshman record.
›› Junior Daisa Alexander had a breakout sophomore season where she scored 14.2 points/game and led the SEC with 2.8 steals/game, earning a nod to the SEC All-Defensive Team. So far this season, Alexander is averaging 13.1 points/game and had a career-high 8 assists vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.
›› Senior Emari Jones has been one of Auburn's most consistent scorers so far in 2018-19, averaging 11.1 points/game and scoring in double-figures in five games so far. In 2017-18, she started 16 games and averaged 5.0 points. She transferred to Auburn prior to the 2016-17 season after a year at Shawnee CC in Ullin, Ill., where she was the nation's leading junior college scorer with 746 points in 2015-16.
›› Redshirt junior Crystal Primm has given Auburn consistent minutes through her first four games on The Plains, averaging 10.0 points and 3.1 rebounds. Primm transferred from Duke following the 2016-17 season.
›› The Tigers' incoming freshman class was ranked No. 13 by ESPN HoopGurlz and included two top-50 prospects in Robyn Benton (#17 overall; #6 guard) and Brooke Moore (#42 overall; #11 guard).
UP NEXT
›› Auburn travels from Myrtle Beach to Elon, N.C., to take on Elon at 1 p.m. CT Saturday.
Auburn women to face Coastal, UNC in Carolinas Challenge
