AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn women's basketball team plays four of its next five games on the road, beginning with a trip to Lexington, Ky., for a Monday night contest against No. 12 Kentucky. Game time is 6 p.m. CT at Memorial Coliseum.
The Tigers (7-10, 1-5 SEC) snapped a five-game skid Thursday night with a 59-43 win over Ole Miss at Auburn Arena. With their best defensive effort of the season, Auburn held the Rebels to 28.4 percent shooting and pulled down 55 rebounds, both season-highs for the Tigers. In fact, their 55 rebounds were the most in an SEC game by Auburn since at least the 2000 season.
Junior Unique Thompson heads into the week with several milestones in sight. She has 977 career points, just 23 away from becoming Auburn's second 1,000-point scorer this season (along with senior Daisa Alexander). And with 36 career double-doubles, she is just four shy of the Auburn career record of 40, currently held by DeWanna Bonner.
Kentucky (15-3, 4-2) will be playing its first game in eight days after having Thursday off. In their last outing, the Wildcats had a rough shooting day in a 65-59 loss at LSU last Sunday.
Brit Bowen will have the play-by-play from Lexington beginning at 5:45 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 Brenda VanLengen and Christy Thomaskutty on the call.
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Be the Tigers' first in Lexington since 2006, snapping a 7-game skid at Memorial Coliseum.
›› Be Auburn's highest-ranked win since defeating then-No. 7 Kentucky 66-61 on Jan. 3, 2016.
›› Give Auburn a road win over a ranked opponent for the first time since defeating No. 16 Vanderbilt 68-62 on Feb. 13, 2014.
AUBURN-KENTUCKY SERIES
›› Auburn is 26-23 all-time against Kentucky, but the Wildcats have won four straight and 11 of the last 12. In Lexington, the series is tied 10-10.
LAST MEETING: Feb. 7, 2019 (at Auburn)
Kentucky 78, Auburn 68
›› Auburn's Unique Thompson scored a game-high 20 points, but a 3-point barrage in the first half by No. 19 Kentucky was the difference in a 78-68 loss at Auburn Arena.
›› The Tigers led in most statistical categories and were able to control the paint most of the night, but the Wildcats hit their first eight 3-point attempts and used a 14-0 run in the second quarter to build a lead Auburn could not overcome.
›› Auburn shot 42.3 percent from the field and out-rebounded Kentucky 29-27. It was the first time this season that Auburn fell when out-rebounding its opponent. The Tigers also scored 22 points off 17 Kentucky turnovers and controlled the inside game, scoring 36 points in the paint. Auburn also took advantage of free-throw opportunities, hitting 22-of-29 attempts at the line.
›› Kentucky, meanwhile, shot 51.9 percent for the game, including a 55-percent night (11-for-20) from beyond the arc. The Wildcats were 9-of-12 from 3-point range in the first half before Auburn was able to hold them to just 2-of-8 after halftime.
›› Thompson's 20 points led all scorers; she also led Auburn with six rebounds. Janiah McKay added 14 points, and Crystal Primm scored 11 and led the Tigers with six steals and five assists. Robyn Benton added eight points off the bench.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
›› Kentucky is 15-3 overall, 4-2 in SEC play so far this season. The Wildcats won four straight before a dropping a tough shooting game at LSU last Sunday.
›› The Wildcats average 72.8 points/game and have the SEC's second-best scoring defense, allowing just 55.2 points/game. The Cats are also the SEC's second-best 3-point shooting team at 37.4% and have the league's best turnover margin at +9.3.
›› Rhyne Howard is the SEC's leading scorer, averaging 23.9 points/game. She has been even better in SEC play, averaging 30.0 points/game, 10.7 more than the second-best player.
SCOUTING AUBURN
›› Junior forward Unique Thompson has 16 double-doubles through 17 games, the most in the NCAA. Thompson is averaging 16.3 points and 12.1 rebounds; she is the leading rebounder and fifth-leading scorer in the Southeastern Conference. She has 36 career double-doubles, which ranks 3rd in Auburn history and first among active SEC players.
›› Senior guard Daisa Alexander is the Tigers' second-leading scorer, averaging 13.7 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 two games with an ankle injury, but returned to the lineup with 17 points at Georgia (1/19) and a career-high 10 rebounds vs. Ole Miss.
›› 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. She added a career-high 17 points and 6 rebounds in the Tigers' win over Ole Miss (1/23).
›› Erin Howard, another sophomore, has started the last five games in league play, averaging 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in SEC games.
›› Freshman Lauren Hansen earned her first career start at UAB on Nov. 21 in her second collegiate game. Hansen followed that up with an 18-point, 4-steal performance in a win over St. Joseph's, then a 24-point, 4-assist day against Drake where she made seven 3-pointers.
›› Freshman Annie Hughes and redshirt sophomore Kiyae' White earned their first career starts on opening night vs. Wofford. Both have played in all 17 games; White is Auburn's second-leading rebounder at 5.2/game.
UP NEXT
›› The Tigers continue their road swing Thursday night in Starkville, Miss., as they face No. 9 Mississippi State. Game time is 7 p.m. CT at Humphrey Coliseum.