BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Auburn's Unique Thompson scored 24 points and matched a career-high in rebounds, but the Tigers came up short in a back-and-forth battle at UAB Thursday night, 80-75.
In a game that featured 12 ties and 25 lead changes and neither team ever led by more than five points, the Tigers (1-2) shot 50 percent from the field and had 10 more rebounds than UAB (3-2). But the Blazers scored 23 points off 20 Auburn turnovers, hit 10 3-pointers and did not miss a free throw in the second half.
"We just didn't defend," Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. "Once again, we gave up 80 points. We can't give up 80 points a game. You will never win giving up 80 points a game. Never. (We had) a lot of unforced turnovers. And it's not like UAB was pressing or getting in the passing lanes. We were just turning the ball over. And every time we made a mistake defensively, they capitalized off of it."
Thompson finished with a game-high points and tied her career-high with 19 rebounds, 10 of those coming on the offensive end and leading to 17 second-chance points for the Tigers. Daisa Alexander added 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting and also had a team-best four steals. Those were the only two Tigers in double-figures; Erin Howard added 9 points and 7 rebounds off the bench.
Freshman Lauren Hansen made her first career start, finishing with 3 points. Sania Wells scored 4 points in her Auburn debut, and Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu also added her first career basket.
A back-and-forth first half that saw seven ties and 15 lead changes ended with the Blazers holding a one-point lead at 41-40. Alexander and three others missed some minutes in the opening half with foul trouble, and UAB took advantage, although neither team led by more than four at any point. The Tigers shot 55 percent from the floor in the half and outrebounded UAB 20-11, but the Blazers scored 16 points off 10 Auburn turnovers. Thompson just missed her third career halftime double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.
Auburn pulled ahead by as many as five points midway through the third quarter, taking a 54-49 lead on an 8-0 run that featured a steal-and-score from Alexander and back-to-back layups from Thompson. But the Blazers tied it up on a pair of free throws just before the end of the period to tie the game 58-58 after three.
The teams traded the lead for the next seven minutes and the game was tied 69-69 with just under four to play. A backbreaking sequence for Auburn saw a would-be Brooke Moore jumper wiped away after a shot clock review, and a desperation heave to beat the shot clock on the other end found the basket for UAB's Miyah Barnes to give the Blazers a 72-69 lead. UAB would never trail again, going 6-for-6 at the free-throw line in the final minute to secure the win.
Rachael Childress led UAB with 23 points, and Barnes added 22. The Blazers shot 49 percent for the game and made 10-of-23 3-pointers (43.5%).
Auburn returns to the friendly confines of Auburn Arena on Sunday night as the Tigers host St. Joseph's at 7 p.m. CT. The game is part of a day/night doubleheader at the arena as Auburn volleyball hosts South Carolina at 1 p.m.