AUBURN, Ala. – It's a quick turnaround for the Auburn women's basketball team as they will welcome the Kentucky Wildcats to Auburn Arena Tuesday night for a 7 p.m. CT tip.
The game was originally scheduled for Dec. 30 but postponed due to health and safety protocols. Fans with tickets for the originally scheduled contest may use those for admission to Tuesday's game. Tickets will also be available via AUBTix.com and at the arena box office on gameday.
The Tigers are still seeking that elusive SEC win after coming up just short to Alabama Sunday before the biggest Auburn women's basketball crowd in more than a decade. More than 4,000 fans were on hand as former head coach Joe Ciampi was honored with a banner in the arena rafters during a pregame ceremony.
Kentucky, meanwhile, is also in search of a league win after dropping their last four games while playing with a limited roster. The Wildcats fell at home to Ole Miss on Sunday. Kentucky has won six straight over the Tigers, including a 76-71 win at Auburn Arena last season.
Tuesday's game is the annual We Back Pat game for Auburn women's basketball. The game serves as part of an annual initiative to bring awareness and recognition to the Pat Summitt Foundation and its fight against Alzheimer's disease. To learn more, visit www.patsummitt.org and follow it on Twitter and Instagram - @webackpat.
ON THE AIR
›› Brit Bowen and Larry DiChiara will have the radio call on WTGZ 95.9 FM beginning at 6:45 p.m. CT. The game can also be heard on AuburnTigers.com and the Auburn Athletics mobile app.
›› Tuesday's game can be seen on SEC Network + with Wiley Ballard and coach Joe Ciampi calling the action. SEC Network + is available via WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app for mobile devices and smart TVs.
LAST TIME OUT
›› In a game that saw nine ties and 14 lead changes, Auburn was unable to hold onto a halftime lead as Alabama found its shooting touch in the second half, leading to a 75-68 Crimson Tide win Sunday at Auburn Arena.
›› A crowd of 4,196 fans – the third-largest for women's basketball in Auburn Arena history – were on hand to witness a celebration of the program's history and the unveiling of a banner honoring longtime coach Joe Ciampi.
›› The Tigers shot 47.5 percent from the floor, their best in SEC play, and were dead even with the Tide in rebounds and turnovers. But Alabama knocked down seven 3-pointers, tying for the most by an Auburn opponent this year, and took advantage of opportunities at the free-throw line, hitting 24-of-33 attempts to Auburn's 10-for-16.
›› Aicha Coulibaly led Auburn in scoring for the fourth straight game, hitting for 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. She filled the stat sheet with seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks. Precious Johnson, making her first start at home, led the Tigers with eight rebounds along with nine points.
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Be head coach Johnnie Harris' first SEC victory.
›› Be Auburn's first SEC win since Feb. 25, 2020, at Missouri.
›› Snap a six-game skid against Kentucky.
AUBURN-KENTUCKY SERIES
›› Auburn is 26-25 against Kentucky with the series tied 11-11 in Auburn. Kentucky has won six straight and 13 of the last 14 meetings, dating back to 2010.
LAST MEETING: Jan. 21, 2021, at Auburn
#12 Kentucky 76, Auburn 71
›› Auburn battled the nation's 12th-ranked team for a full 40 minutes, but a late rally fell just short in a 76-71 loss to No. 12 Kentucky at Auburn Arena.
›› The Tigers got 22 points from senior Unique Thompson – 13 of them in the fourth quarter – and never let the Wildcats out of their sights in Auburn's most complete effort so far in SEC play.
›› Thompson led all scorers with 22 points and picked up her ninth straight double-double with 10 rebounds as well. Jala Jordan had her best performance in SEC play with 11 points, and Honesty Scott-Grayson added 10 points and eight rebounds. Romi Levy contributed a career-high seven assists along with five points and four rebounds.
›› Auburn shot 40 percent from the field (27-68) and hit five 3-pointers, in addition to going 12-of-16 at the free-throw line. The Tigers forced Kentucky into 15 turnovers, converting those into 16 points, and Auburn out-rebounded the Wildcats 41-38. Auburn scored 38 of its 71 points in the paint and turned 17 offensive rebounds into 12 second-chance points.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
›› Kentucky is 8-7 overall and 1-4 in SEC play, having dropped four straight contests with a limited roster.
›› For the season, Kentucky averages 73.1 points per game while giving up 65.9. But in SEC play, the Cats have been held to 60.4 points while surrendering 74.8 per contest.
›› Rhyne Howard is the SEC's second-leading scorer at 19.4 points per game, and she averages 20.8 points in league games.
SCOUTING AUBURN
›› Auburn is 8-9, 0-6 in SEC play. The Tigers have dropped three heartbreakers in SEC road games so far, the last being a 68-63 loss at Florida last Thursday where the Tigers led in the final minute. Auburn led midway through the fourth quarter Sunday against Alabama but could not hold on in a 75-68 home loss.
›› With wins at No. 18 Georgia Tech on Nov. 21 and at home over Oklahoma State on Dec. 5, the Tigers have two wins over non-conference Power 5 opponents for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
›› Sophomore Aicha Coulibaly leads Auburn and is fourth in the SEC in scoring with 17.9 points/game. She is also the Tigers' top rebounder with 8.1 rebounds per game (7th SEC). She has topped the 20-point mark in six contests, scoring a career-high 27 against Charleston Southern, 23 against North Florida, 25 vs. Oklahoma State, 24 at Belmont, 23 vs. Kennesaw State, and 24 at Florida. She also has three double-doubles this season, including 17 points and 12 rebounds at Alabama. For her efforts against UNF and OSU, she was named SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 7.
›› Redshirt junior Honesty Scott-Grayson is averaging 12.6 points and 5.8 rebounds, and she has recorded two double-doubles. She was the Tigers' leading returner from 2020-21 in most statistical categories: scoring (14.5 ppg), rebounding (4.1 rpg), assists (1.7 apg), steals (2.1 APG) and shooting (.406 FG/.301 3FG/.761 FT).
›› Junior Sania Wells has returned to her natural position of point guard and is averaging 10.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Wells is the SEC's top free-throw shooter at .927 (51-55), which also ranks 7th nationally. She scored a career-high 20 points at Missouri on Jan. 6.
›› Junior Annie Hughes and redshirt senior Kiyae' White have been key components of the starting lineup as well. Hughes is the only Tiger to appear in every game since the start of the 2019-20 season. Hughes scored a career-high 21 points and hit 5 3-pointers against Charleston Southern on Nov. 26. White had a season-high 9 rebounds at Mizzou.
›› Precious Johnson, a 6-5 transfer from Texas, joined the Tigers for the spring semester and made her Auburn debut Jan. 9 vs. LSU, then made her first collegiate start four days later at Florida, scoring 7 points along with 5 rebounds. She scored a career-high 9 points with 8 rebounds against Alabama on Jan. 23.
UP NEXT
›› The Tigers have a third game this week as No. 4 Tennessee travels to the Plains Thursday for a 7 p.m. CT tip.
Auburn women host Kentucky Tuesday night
