AUBURN, Ala. – It's the first of two meetings between archrivals this season as the Auburn women's basketball team hosts Alabama Sunday afternoon. Game time is 2 p.m. CT at Auburn Arena.
Both the Tigers (6-8, 0-3 SEC) and the Crimson Tide (10-6, 0-3) seek their first league win of the year. Auburn dropped its last contest to Florida, and Alabama fell to Kentucky on Thursday night.
Sophomore Brooke Moore has been a bright spot for Auburn through the first three league games, averaging 16.7 points per game in that stretch. She has held or shared the scoring lead in each game, and she is 12th in the league in scoring in conference games so far.
Auburn swept three meetings with Alabama last season, the first time for the Tigers to do that since 1975. The Tigers took a 39-point win at home, a 10-point win on the road and a nail-biting one-point victory at the SEC Tournament.
Brit Bowen and Larry DiChiara will call the action courtside beginning at 1:45 p.m. CT on WTGZ 93.9 FM and online at AuburnTigers.com and the official Auburn Tigers app. The game can be seen on SEC Network + with Brad Law and coach Joe Ciampi.
QUICK HITS
• This is the 92nd meeting between Auburn and Alabama in women's basketball, the second-most played series in the SEC
• Auburn leads the series 53-38, including a 31-10 edge at home and a 7-2 lead at Auburn Arena
• Auburn has won the last three meetings and 11 of the last 14
• Auburn swept three games with Alabama last season, including a narrow 53-52 win in the SEC Tournament and a dominating 77-38 victory at home
• Unique Thompson has 13 double-doubles in 14 games this year, which leads the NCAA; she has 33 career double-doubles, which ranks 3rd in Auburn history
• Thompson's 724 career rebounds rank 2nd among active SEC players and 15th in Auburn history
• Senior Daisa Alexander scored her 1,000th career point in Auburn's win over Jacksonville State (12/28); she is the 34th Tiger to reach that milestone
• Alexander missed the game vs. Florida on Jan. 9 with an ankle injury suffered four days earlier vs. Arkansas
• Alexander's 193 career steals rank second among active SEC players; her 1,023 points are 7th among active players
• The Tigers have employed six different starting lineups this year; seven of 11 active players have drawn starts
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Snap a 3-game losing streak.
›› Be Auburn's fourth straight win over Alabama.
›› Improve the Tigers to 3-1 against in-state foes this season.
AUBURN-ALABAMA SERIES
›› This is the 92nd meeting between Auburn and Alabama in women's basketball, the first of two this season. It is the second-most played women's basketball series in the SEC, behind only Ole Miss-Mississippi State.
›› Auburn is 53-38 all-time against Alabama and owns a 31-10 advantage at home, including a 7-2 edge at Auburn Arena.
›› The Tigers have won 8 of the last 10 and 11 of the last 14 meetings between the teams, dating back to 2013.
LAST MEETING: March 7, 2019 (at Greenville, S.C.)
Auburn 53, Alabama 52
›› Auburn overcame a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter and forced 18 second-half turnovers to earn a wild 53-52 win over Alabama in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
›› Despite its lowest offensive output of the season, Auburn got 29 points off 26 Alabama turnovers to beat its archrival for the third time this season, something the Tigers had not done against Alabama since 1975.
›› Auburn was able to take advantage of free-throw opportunities down the stretch, hitting 10-of-11 in the fourth period. None were bigger than two from Daisa Alexander with 11 seconds to play that gave Auburn a 53-50 lead following a wild sequence that included two jump-balls, a 5-second violation, a timeout and a quick foul. Cierra Johnson's late 3-point attempt was off the mark, and Ariyah Copeland banked in a layup as time expired to cut the final deficit to one.
›› Janiah McKay was Auburn's only player in double-figures with 12 points on the night. Unique Thompson added 8 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and Alexander had six points and four steals. Abigayle Jackson contributed seven points and four off the bench, and Erica Sanders had three steals on the night.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
›› Alabama is 10-6 on the season and 0-3 in SEC play, but two of the three league losses have come to top-15 foes in #4 South Carolina and #14 Kentucky.
›› Alabama averages 74.1 points per game while giving up 64.3 per game.
›› Jordan Lewis leads the Tide with 13.3 points/game, and Jasmine Walker adds 10.8. Walker is also the Tide's leading rebounder with 6.8/game.
SCOUTING AUBURN
›› Auburn averages 70.1 points per game but gives up 74.3; the Tigers lead the SEC with 10.9 steals per game.
›› Junior forward Unique Thompson has 13 double-doubles through 14 games, averaging 17.5 points and 11.9 rebounds; she is the leading rebounder and fifth-leading scorer in the Southeastern Conference. She has 33 career double-doubles, which ranks 3rd in Auburn history and tied for first among active SEC players.
›› Senior guard Daisa Alexander is the Tigers' second-leading scorer, averaging 13.9 points/game. She scored her 1,000th career point against Jacksonville State on Dec. 28, becoming the 34th Tiger to reach that milestone. Alexander also ranks fifth in the SEC in steals (2.3/game). Alexander missed Thursday game vs. Florida with an ankle injury suffered Jan. 5 vs. Arkansas.
›› Sophomore Brooke Moore gives Auburn a third player in double figures at 12.7 points/game. She is Auburn's leading scorer through three conference games at 16.7 points/game. She scored a season-high 20 points at South Alabama, hitting 4-of-6 3-point attempts.
UP NEXT
›› After an off day next Thursday, the Tigers are back in action Sunday, Jan. 19, at Georgia. Game time is 1 p.m. CT at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens with a national broadcast on ESPNU.