AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn women's basketball team is back at home Thursday night to play host to Ole Miss. Game time is 6 p.m. CT at Auburn Arena.
Thursday's game is the annual We Back Pat game. This is the ninth year that the Southeastern Conference and its 14 member schools spend a week in January focusedon bringing awareness and recognition to The Pat Summitt Foundation and its fight against Alzheimer's disease.
The Tigers are looking to get back on the winning track after a tough loss Sunday at Georgia. Auburn led by four at halftime and was within one point late in the third quarter, but the Tigers went cold as Georgia got hot to pull away for a 61-50 win. Senior Daisa Alexander made her return to the Auburn lineup after missing the previous two games with an ankle injury and scored a team-leading 17 points.
Ole Miss is also seeking its first league win; the Rebels have battled injuries and attrition so far this season but put up their best effort so far in league play Sunday in a 71-57 loss to Missouri. Auburn has won four of the last five against Ole Miss, including a 64-51 victory in Oxford last season.
Brit Bowen will have the radio call from Auburn Arena beginning at 5:45 p.m. CT on WTGZ 93.9 FM, AuburnTigers.com and the official Auburn Tigers app. Fans can watch on SEC Network +, available via WatchESPN and the ESPN app, with Brad Law and coach Joe Ciampi calling the action.
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Snap a 5-game losing streak.
›› Be Auburn's third straight against Ole Miss.
AUBURN-OLE MISS SERIES
›› Auburn is 36-25 all-time against Ole Miss, including an 18-8 mark at home. The Tigers have won five of the last six meetings with the Rebels in Auburn.
›› Five of the last eight games in the series have been decided by five points or less.
LAST MEETING: Jan. 31, 2019 (at Oxford)
Auburn 64, Ole Miss 51
›› Unique Thompson picked up her ninth double-double of the year to lead the Tigers to a 64-51 victory over Ole Miss at The Pavilion.
›› The Tigers struggled from the field early in the game, but outscored the Rebels 25-10 in the third quarter to break open what had been a three-point game at the half.
›› Thompson finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds and was a career-best 10-of-12 at the free-throw line. Daisa Alexander scored 10 points, all coming in that pivotal third quarter, and Crystal Primm finished with 11 points and six rebounds.
›› Freshman Erin Howard moved back into the starting lineup and filled the stat sheet with eight points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists. Janiah McKay finished with six points and six assists.
›› Both teams shot 35 percent from the field, but Auburn made up for a tough shooting night by hitting 18-of-24 free throws. The Tigers also out-rebounded the Rebels 40-38, snapping a string of five straight games losing the rebounding battle.
SCOUTING OLE MISS
›› Ole Miss is 7-11 on the year and 0-5 in SEC play. The Rebels have dealt with injuries and attrition throughout the season, losing one starter to injury and another to transfer.
›› The Rebels average 58.3 points per game overall while giving up 63.4; in league play, Ole Miss is scoring 43.0 points/game and giving up 68.8.
›› Deja Cage leads Ole Miss with 13.3 points/game and is the Rebels' top 3-point shooter, hitting 40 of 114 attempts (35.1%).
SCOUTING AUBURN
›› The Tigers are among the most inexperienced teams in the country with just two upperclassmen on their 13-player roster. With four freshmen and seven sophomores, Auburn is one of just eight teams nationwide with three or fewer upperclassmen on its roster.
›› Auburn averages 67.4 points per game but gives up 73.5; the Tigers lead the SEC with 10.9 steals per game.
›› Junior forward Unique Thompson has 15 double-doubles through 16 games, averaging 16.7 points and 12.0 rebounds; she is the leading rebounder and fifth-leading scorer in the Southeastern Conference. She has 35 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 14.1 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 (2.4/game). Alexander missed two games with an ankle injury, but returned to the lineup with 17 points at Georgia (1/19).
›› Sophomore Brooke Moore gives Auburn a third player in double figures at 10.9 points/game. She scored a season-high 20 points at South Alabama, hitting 4-of-6 3-point attempts, and she was the Tigers' leading scorer through three SEC games.
›› Sophomore Robyn Benton made her season debut vs. Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 15, scoring 10 points along with two blocks. She missed the season's first nine games with injury. Benton made her first career start at Georgia (1/19), scoring 12 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
UP NEXT
›› The Tigers hit the road for their next two games, beginning with a trip to Lexington, Ky., to face No. 12 Kentucky on Monday night. Game time is 6 p.m. CT at Memorial Coliseum with the broadcast on SEC Network.