AUBURN, Ala. – A second straight top-15 opponent on the road awaits the Auburn women's basketball team as the Tigers travel to Starkville, Miss., to face No. 9 Mississippi State at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Auburn (7-11, 1-6 SEC) came tantalizingly close to pulling off a huge comeback win Monday night in Lexington, Ky., as the Tigers rallied from a 20-point deficit to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but ultimately fell just short in a 68-61 loss. Junior Unique Thompson had a stellar night, scoring her 1,000th career point while putting up a 27-point, 15-rebound effort to lead both teams in both categories.
It will take another strong effort against the Bulldogs (18-3, 6-1), who are among the league's top scoring and defensive teams. MSU has just one SEC loss, a one-point setback at No. 1 South Carolina last Monday night. The Bulldogs have won six straight over Auburn, dating back to 2014.
Brit Bowen will have the radio play-by-play on WTGZ 93.9 FM beginning at 6:45 p.m. CT; the game can also be heard on AuburnTigers.com and the official Auburn Tigers app. Fans can watch Thursday's game on SEC Network +, available via WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Snap a six-game skid against Mississippi State that dates back to 2014.
›› 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-MSU SERIES
›› This is the 58th meeting between Auburn and Mississippi State in women's basketball. Auburn is 35-22 against the Bulldogs, but MSU has won the last six meetings.
LAST MEETING: Jan. 14, 2019 (at Auburn)
#7 Mississippi State 85, Auburn 59
›› Three Auburn players scored in double-figures, but No. 7/6 Mississippi State was too much for the Tigers in an 85-59 Bulldog win at Auburn Arena.
›› The Tigers kept alive their streak of forcing at least 20 opponent turnovers and posted 15 steals, but Mississippi State took advantage of both size and transition opportunities to pull away in the second half.
›› Daisa Alexander led Auburn with 18 points and five rebounds; it was her third straight game as Auburn's leading scorer. Brooke Moore hit four 3-pointers and added 16 points off the bench, and Crystal Primm had 14 points and a career-high seven steals. Janiah McKay and Erica Sanders had three assists apiece.
›› Mississippi State shot 52.7 percent from the field with a combined 67 of their 85 points coming in the paint (44) or at the free-throw line (23). Auburn was 39 percent from the floor for the night and struggled at the charity stripe, hitting just 8-of-18 attempts.
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
›› Mississippi State is 18-3 overall and 6-1 in SEC play. The Bulldogs' only league loss came by two points on the road at No. 1 South Carolina.
›› The Bulldogs average 81.7 points per game and hold opponents to 57.7/game. MSU is the SEC's top-shooting team at 47.6% from the floor
›› Jordan Danberry leads MSU with 13.6 points/game. Jessika Carter ranks third in the SEC with 9.5 rebounds/game and a 58.4% field goal mark.
SCOUTING AUBURN
›› Junior forward Unique Thompson has 17 double-doubles through 18 games, averaging 16.9 points and 12.2 rebounds; she is the leading rebounder and fifth-leading scorer in the Southeastern Conference. She has 37 career double-doubles, which ranks 3rd in Auburn history and first among active SEC players. Thompson scored her 1,000th career point at Kentucky (1/27).
›› Senior guard Daisa Alexander is the Tigers' second-leading scorer, averaging 13.3 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 sixth 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 10.4 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 6.7 points and 4.3 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 18 games; White is Auburn's second-leading rebounder at 5.3/game.
UP NEXT
›› The Tigers return home Sunday afternoon to take on Vanderbilt. Game time is 2 p.m. CT at Auburn Arena. It's the annual Pink Game for breast cancer awareness, and fans are encouraged to wear pink.