AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn women's basketball team plays its next-to-last home game of the season Thursday night when No. 9 Mississippi State visits Auburn Arena. Game time is set for 8 p.m. CT.
The Tigers are on a three-game home winning streak after picking up their biggest win of the year Sunday with a 65-60 defeat of LSU at Auburn Arena. Auburn led by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter before a late LSU rally cut into the lead.
It will be the second meeting of the season with the Bulldogs. Last time, on Jan. 30 in Starkville, the Tigers gave Mississippi State all they could handle, leading by as many as nine points in the third quarter before the Bulldogs fought back for a 78-73 win. Unique Thompson and Daisa Alexander both topped the 20-point mark in that game.
Brit Bowen and Larry DiChiara have the radio call beginning at 7:45 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 with Eric Frede and Tamika Catchings calling the action.
PARKING INFORMATION
Reserved parking is available in the Auburn Arena Parking Lot on a first-come, first-served basis beginning two hours prior to game time (6 p.m.) for ticket holders with a valid ticket to that night's women's basketball game and individuals possessing a women's basketball game credential.
Fans are also encouraged to park in the Campus Safety Lot off Wire Road and Donahue Drive. Parking is also available in the CDV Lot and Lowder Lot. Other lots, such as the Coliseum lot, will likely be unavailable due to fans attending the SEC Swimming & Diving Championship.
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Be the Tigers' fourth straight home victory.
›› Snap a seven-game losing streak against Mississippi State.
›› Be Auburn's first top-10 victory since defeating then-No. 7 Kentucky 66-61 on Jan. 3, 2016.
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. 30, 2020 (at Starkville)
#9 Mississippi State 78, Auburn 73
›› One of the best all-around efforts of the season from the Auburn women's basketball team came up just short as the Tigers dropped a 78-73 decision at No. 9 Mississippi State.
›› The Tigers had their best shooting night and scoring output in SEC play so far and led by as many as nine points early in the second half, but a string of Auburn turnovers late in the third quarter allowed the Bulldogs to pull ahead and stay there.
›› For the third time this season, Auburn had two players top the 20-point mark. Unique Thompson led the way with a 21-point, 11-rebound effort, picking up her 18th double-double of the season and 38th of her career, moving her into a tie for second on the all-time Auburn list.
›› Daisa Alexander added 20 points, her fifth effort of 20 or more points this year, and matched her career-high with four 3-pointers on the night. Robyn Benton added 14 points to give Auburn three players in double-figures, and freshman Sania Wells, a Mississippi native, added a career-high eight points in a return to her home state.
SCOUTING MSU
›› Mississippi State is 22-4 overall, 10-2 in SEC play, and ranked No. 9 in both the AP and Coaches' polls.
›› The Bulldogs have the third-best scoring offense in the SEC, averaging 79.3 points per game, while giving up just 58.5. They are the league's second-best shooting team at 46.8%.
›› Rickea Jackson, who scored 22 points in the first meeting with Auburn, is MSU's leader with 14.3 points/game. Jessika Carter (13.5 ppg) and Jordan Danberry (12.3 ppg) give the Bulldogs three players in double-figures. Carter is the team's leading rebounder with 8.9/game.
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 66.3 points per game but gives up 71.0; the Tigers lead the SEC with 10.7 steals per game, including 11.2/game in conference play.
›› Junior forward Unique Thompson has 19 double-doubles through 23 games, averaging 16.7 points and 11.7 rebounds; she is the leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer in the Southeastern Conference. She has 39 career double-doubles, which ranks 2nd in Auburn history, first among active SEC players, and is one shy of tying the Auburn career record of 40 (DeWanna Bonner). Thompson scored her 1,000th career point at Kentucky (1/27).
›› Senior guard Daisa Alexander is the Tigers' second-leading scorer, averaging 12.9 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 (2.1/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 (1/23).
›› 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 she had 6 steals in each of two games vs. MSU and Vandy. Benton is averaging 2.9 steals, which would lead the SEC if she met playing minimums. In SEC play, she leads the league with 3.3 steals/game.
›› 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. She had her best game in SEC play with 18 points against Vanderbilt (2/2).
›› Sophomore Erin Howard scored a career-high 15 points at Alabama (2/9); she has started 11 games in SEC play and is averaging 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in conference games.
UP NEXT
›› The Tigers hit the road for their next two games, beginning with a trip to College Station, Texas, to face No. 16 Texas A&M. Game time is 3 p.m. CT at Reed Arena.