TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Auburn's Erin Howard scored a career-high 15 points and three Tigers finished in double figures, but a back-and-forth game went Alabama's way Sunday afternoon as Auburn fell 68-64 at Coleman Coliseum.
In a game that featured 12 ties and 13 lead changes, Auburn led 61-60 with 1:24 to play. But Alabama, which had missed 11 straight 3-pointers, hit one from the corner to take a 63-61 lead with under a minute to play. Auburn came up empty on its next possession, and Alabama sank 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to earn the win.
"We didn't make stops," Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. "And rebounding killed us. Every single time in the huddle, we're telling the team they've got to rebound. Rebounding is something we've been very good at this year, and in this game, if we rebound and take care of the basketball, we win. There's always room to improve; we've got to make better decisions offensively. We did a lot of good things today, but there's some things we have to clean up."
Howard's 15 points led the Tigers on a tough shooting day; she was 3-of-5 from 3-point range. Howard also contributed four rebounds, two steals and an assist. Robyn Benton added 14 points, including an 8-for-8 day at the free-throw line, and a career-high seven rebounds. And Daisa Alexander finished with 10 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Unique Thompson missed a double-double for just the second time this season by one point, finishing with nine points and 12 rebounds along with two steals. Lauren Hansen also added nine points.
The Tigers shot 36.1 percent (22-of-61) while Alabama was slightly better at 40.7 percent. Both teams made 22 shots, but Alabama made one more 3-pointer and three more free throws. Auburn committed just seven turnovers, a season-low, but also forced Alabama into only 11, also a season-low. Alabama out-rebounded Auburn 41-34.
Auburn led 13-12 at the end of one quarter, and the game was tied 28-28 at the half as Alabama hit a layup at the buzzer to pull back even. The Tigers took advantage of opportunities at the free throw line in the third quarter to pull ahead by as many as six points at 45-39 with just over three minutes to play; Benton was a perfect 7-for-7 at the line in the period. Alabama cut the lead to three at 50-47 headed to the fourth.
The Tigers went cold early in the fourth, hitting just one field goal in the first six-plus minutes as Alabama moved ahead by three. A fast-break layup from Hansen with 3:08 to play drew a foul, and her free throw tied the game 56-56. Benton answered with another and-one to give the Tigers a 59-58 lead with 1:57 left. The teams traded free throws on the next two possessions, leading to Alabama's final-minute comeback.
Ariyah Copeland led Alabama with 17 points and 13 rebounds while Jordan Lewis added 13 points.
The Tigers face their toughest test of the season Thursday night in Columbia, S.C., as Auburn faces No. 1 South Carolina. Game time is 6 p.m. CT at Colonial Life Arena with a national broadcast on SEC Network.