LAS VEGAS – Auburn had two players with 20-plus points, but No. 5 Indiana's offensive attack was too much as the Tigers fell to the Hoosiers 96-81 Friday night at The Mirage.
The Tigers (3-2) scored more points than any Indiana opponent so far this season, but the Hoosiers (6-0) topped the 90-point mark for the fourth time in six games.
"I was a little disappointed in some of the undisciplined plays that we made, but for the most part, I thought our kids battled," Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris. "And that's what I want them to do. I wanted them to battle and have a chance at the end, and I thought they did that."
Honesty Scott-Grayson and Aicha Coulibaly scored 22 points apiece. It was a season-high for Scott-Grayson, who also led the Tigers with six rebounds and was 4-of-6 on 3-point attempts. Coulibaly led Auburn with three steals.
Freshman Sydney Shaw had a strong performance with eight points and a team-leading five assists. Precious Johnson also added eight points off the bench.
Auburn shot 42 percent (29-69) and matched a season-best with eight 3-pointers on the night. Indiana had 33 rebounds, one more than Auburn's 32, and the Tigers turned 11 Hoosier turnovers into 15 points. Free throws were a key; Indiana was 22-of-25 while Auburn was 15-of-24 from the line.
The teams traded blows for much of the first quarter, but Indiana took a 25-23 lead after 10 hectic minutes. Auburn got the first two buckets of the second quarter to take a 27-25 lead, but Indiana would go on a 16-2 run over the next five minutes to expand their lead to 12; the Hoosiers would lead 51-39 at the half.
Auburn chipped away, holding Indiana scoreless for nearly the last three minutes of the third quarter and getting as close as five points in the final minute of the period. But IU's Yarden Garzon knocked down a buzzer-beating 3 to give Indiana a 68-60 lead after three.
The Tigers kept it within single digits through the first part of the fourth quarter, but Indiana took advantage of multiple opportunities at the free-throw line down the stretch to pad their lead.
Mackenzie Holmes led Indiana with 26 points and 12 rebounds; she was 10-of-10 from the floor. Garzon added 21 points, and two others were in double-figures.
Auburn will wrap up their stay in Las Vegas Saturday afternoon as they take on Colorado State. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. PT/5:30 p.m. CT with the radio broadcast on Tiger 95.9 FM and a live stream available via FloSports.
