AUBURN, Ala. – After a pair of games on the road against nationally ranked opponents, the Auburn women's basketball team returns to the friendly confines of Auburn Arena for Sunday's SEC game with Vanderbilt. Game time is 2 p.m. CT.
Sunday's game will be the annual Pink Game promoting breast cancer awareness. Fans are encouraged to wear pink; the first 800 fans can pick up a pink "War Eagle" t-shirt. Tickets are available at the arena ticket office on gameday or by visiting AUBTix.com.
The Tigers (7-12, 1-7 SEC) put together one of their best performances of the season Thursday night on the road at No. 9 Mississippi State but came up just short in a 78-73 loss in Starkville. Unique Thompson and Daisa Alexander both topped the 20-point mark as the Tigers led at the half but were unable to hold off the Bulldogs late.
Vanderbilt (12-9, 2-6) has dropped its last five games but won two of its first three to start SEC play. One of those was a 77-55 win over Auburn to open SEC play in Nashville on Jan. 2. The Tigers' loss snapped a six-game winning streak by Auburn over Vanderbilt that had dated back to 2014.
Brit Bowen and Larry DiChiara will have the radio broadcast beginning at 1:45 p.m. CT on WTGZ 93.9 FM and online at AuburnTigers.com and the official Auburn Athletics app. The game can also be seen on SEC Network +, available via WatchESPN and the ESPN app, with Brad Law and Joe Ciampi calling the action.
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Avenge the Tigers' loss at Vanderbilt in the SEC opener Jan. 2.
›› Be Auburn's second straight home win.
›› Give Auburn a 7th win in its last 8 meetings with Vanderbilt.
AUBURN-VANDERBILT SERIES
›› This is the 52nd meeting between Auburn and Vanderbilt in women's basketball.
›› Vanderbilt owns a 29-22 edge in the series that dates back to 1977-78, but Auburn has won six of the last seven meetings, including two straight at Auburn Arena. Prior to Auburn's win in Nashville in 2014, the Commodores had won 21 in a row dating back to 2001.
LAST MEETING: Jan. 2, 2020 (at Nashville)
Vanderbilt 77, Auburn 55
›› Auburn got off to a slow start and never recovered in a 77-55 loss to Vanderbilt at Memorial Gym to open SEC play.
›› The Tigers (6-6, 0-1 SEC) had their worst shooting night of the season and saw Vanderbilt (11-3, 1-0) shoot a blistering 60 percent as the Commodores opened a big early lead and never looked back.
›› Unique Thompson kept her nation-leading double-double streak alive with a 14-point, 10 rebound performance. She also tallied three steals and a pair of assists. Brooke Moore led the Tigers with 17 points, and Erin Howard added 13.
›› Vanderbilt shot 59.6 percent from the field (31-52) and outscored Auburn in the paint 46-24. The Tigers finished at 28.3 percent (17-60). Auburn had a strong night at the free-throw line, hitting 18-of-23 (78.3%).
SCOUTING VANDERBILT
›› Vanderbilt is 12-9 overall and 2-6 in SEC play. The Commodores have wins over Auburn and Georgia in the first half of the league schedule.
›› The Commodores average 69.6 points per game and give up 66.2. Vandy is the third-best rebounding team in the league, averaging 42.3 points/game.
›› Mariella Fasoula is Vandy's top scorer (13.7 ppg) and rebounder (6.9 rpg). She also shoots 52.5% from the floor. Jordyn Cambridge leads the SEC in steals with 3.0/game.
›› Jordyn Cambridge, Vanderbilt's sophomore guard, is the sister of Auburn men's basketball freshman Devan Cambridge.
›› Former Vanderbilt standout Marqu'es Webb, currently the Commodores' director of player development, is the sister of Auburn director of basketball operations Bianca Webb.
SCOUTING AUBURN
›› Auburn averages 66.9 points per game but gives up 71.8; the Tigers lead the SEC with 10.9 steals per game, including 12.1/game in conference play.
›› Junior forward Unique Thompson has 18 double-doubles through 19 games, averaging 17.1 points and 12.2 rebounds; she is the leading rebounder and fifth-leading scorer in the Southeastern Conference. She has 38 career double-doubles, which is tied for 2nd 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 13.7 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 (2.2/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 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), and is averaging 2.8 steals, which would rank second in the SEC if she met playing minimums.
›› Erin Howard, another sophomore, has started the last six games in league play, averaging 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in SEC games.
UP NEXT
›› The Tigers have an open date Thursday before hitting the road for their next two games, starting with a trip to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama on Sunday, Feb. 9.