AUBURN, Ala. – Aicha Coulibaly recorded her second double-double of the year, Honesty Scott-Grayson scored 22 points, and the Auburn women's basketball team steamrolled past previously unbeaten UCF 86-46 Saturday afternoon at Auburn Arena.
The Tigers (6-2) dominated all phases of the game, using a smothering defense to hold the Knights (6-1) to their lowest scoring total of the season while securing its largest margin of victory in 2022-23.
"I thought we came out and imposed our will, played our style of basketball," Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris said. "The last game, I didn't feel like they played hard enough, and I didn't feel like they played our style of basketball. So we challenged them, and I thought we came out and did that tonight.
"I've been waiting on that. I let them know what (the effort vs. Little Rock) looked like, and I let them know that's not us. That's not our style of play. Just trying to instill in them, it's not just what we do, it's who we are. We have to be that every day, every possession. I thought we made a big step forward today."
Coulibaly finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the season and seventh of her career. She was a force in all areas, recording four assists with a pair of blocks and one steal. Scott-Grayson led the Tigers in scoring for the fourth straight game, scoring 20-plus for the third time in those four contests.
Sophomore Mar'Shaun Bostic scored a career-high 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting; she also had two rebounds, one assist and one steal. Freshman Sydney Shaw and junior Jakayla Johnson came up just short of double-figures with nine and eight points, respectively.
Sania Wells made her first start of the season and recorded a team-leading three blocks along with three assists and two steals. Precious Johnson matched a season-high with seven rebounds.
Auburn shot 47.8 percent from the floor (33-69) and hit 6-of-13 3-point attempts (46.2%). Meanwhile, the Knights were held to a season-low 22.4 percent night and did not hit a 3-pointer; it's the second straight opponent Auburn has held scoreless from long range. Auburn also controlled the boards, pulling down a season-high 51 rebounds to UCF's 33, and the Tigers' relentless ball pressure forced UCF into 18 turnovers while holding the Knights without a single assist on the day.
A 14-4 run to start the game led to a 21-6 lead at the end of one quarter. Auburn would not let up in the second period, pushing its lead to 37-11 halfway through and 46-17 at the break. A moderate cold stretch in the third let the Knights cut their deficit to as few as 23, but they would get no closer as Auburn pulled away again in the final quarter, leading by as many as 43 in the final minutes.
No players hit double-figures for UCF. Laila Jewett and Taylor Gibson led the Knights with nine points apiece.
After a week off for final exams, the Tigers will be back in action Sunday, Dec. 11, as they take on Louisiana-Lafayette. Game time is 2 p.m. CT at Neville Arena.
Auburn dominant in all phases in 86-46 win over UCF
