AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn women's basketball team hits the road for the first time in 2019-20 with a short trip north to Birmingham to take on UAB Thursday night. Game time is 6 p.m. CT at Bartow Arena.
The Tigers (1-1) are looking to bounce back after dropping an 89-77 contest to another Conference USA foe, Old Dominion, last Thursday at home. In that game, Auburn had four players score in double figures, and the game was tied early in the fourth quarter. But the Monarchs shot 90 percent from the floor in the final period to pull away for the win.
Junior Unique Thompson has picked up where she left off last season, notching double-doubles in each of her first two games. She is averaging 19.0 points and 11.5 rebounds through the first two contests. Senior Daisa Alexander is Auburn's leading scorer with 19.5 points per game, and Brooke Moore (15.0 ppg) and Annie Hughes (11.5 ppg) are also averaging double-figures.
UAB (1-2) enters Thursday's game after playing their first three games in the Preseason WNIT. The Blazers defeated South Alabama in the first game before dropping a road contest at Oklahoma and falling in a tight game at home to Boise State. UAB ranks sixth in the nation in 3-pointers, averaging 11.0 per game.
Brit Bowen will have the radio broadcast beginning at 5:45 p.m. CT on WTGZ 93.9 FM in Auburn and online at AuburnTigers.com. The game can also be seen on ESPN+, which is a paid subscription service.
QUICK HITS
• This is the 36th all-time meeting between Auburn and UAB
• Auburn leads the series 31-4, including a 13-2 advantage in Birmingham
• Auburn is 80-32 in non-conference games under Terri Williams-Flournoy and has won 20 of their last 23
• Auburn is 59-16 all-time against current members of Conference USA
• Auburn has a 255-63 all-time record against in-state opponents; 202-25 against non-conference foes
• Under Coach Flo, Auburn is 32-1 when scoring at least 80 points in a game
• Unique Thompson has two double-doubles through two games this season; she has 22 career double-doubles, which ranks 7th in Auburn history
• Thompson's 580 career rebounds rank 2nd among active SEC players and tied for 24th in Auburn history
• Daisa Alexander is tied for second in the SEC in scoring with 19.5 points/game
• Alexander's 169 career steals rank second among active SEC players
• Brooke Moore is a perfect 19-for-19 in her career on free throws (9-for-9 this season)
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Be Auburn's 18th straight victory over UAB, dating back to 1992.
›› Be Auburn's sixth straight win over an in-state opponent.
›› Be Auburn's 26th straight win over an in-state non-conference opponent, dating back to 2005.
AUBURN-UAB SERIES
›› This is the 36th meeting between Auburn and UAB in women's basketball. It will be the first game in Birmingham for Auburn since 2008.
›› Auburn leads the series 31-4, including a 13-2 advantage in games played in Birmingham. Auburn has won the last 17 meetings, dating back to 1992.
›› The Tigers are 59-16 all-time against current members of Conference USA. UAB is the second of three CUSA teams Auburn faces this year (ODU, Middle Tennessee).
SCOUTING UAB
›› UAB is 1-2 on the year after dropping an 83-81 contest to Boise State Friday night in the Preseason WNIT.
›› The Blazers were picked to finish fourth in CUSA after a second-place finish last season. UAB returns four starters and seven letterwinners from its 2018-19 squad that advanced to the second round of the WNIT.
›› Miyah Barnes was the CUSA Player of the Week last week after averaging 18.0 points in two games, including 25 points on the road at Oklahoma. She is the Blazers' leading scorer at 19.7 points/game.
›› UAB ranks sixth in the nation with 11.0 3-pointers per game. Rachael Childress has made 12 of them, including 8-of-15 in the season-opener vs. South Alabama.
LAST MEETING: Nov. 13, 2015
Auburn 85, UAB 71
›› Brandy Montgomery scored 24 points and Janiah McKay added 20 points with seven assists in her collegiate debut to lead Auburn to an 85-71 win over UAB in the 2015-16 season-opener at Auburn Arena.
›› The Tigers won their season opener at home for the 25th straight time behind a second-half surge that saw Auburn shoot 61.1 percent over the final 20 minutes.
›› Tra'Cee Tanner recorded a double-double, the ninth of her career, with 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds, and junior Katie Frerking went 4-for-10 from 3-point range for 12 points and added a game-high three steals.
UP NEXT
›› Auburn returns home to take on St. Joseph's on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. CT. The game is part of a day/night doubleheader with Auburn volleyball, who faces South Carolina at 1 p.m.