AUBURN, Ala. – It's rivalry time for the Auburn women's basketball team as the Tigers are set to host Alabama Sunday at Neville Arena. Tip is set for 4 p.m. CT.
Sunday's contest is the All Auburn, All Orange game for the season, and all fans are encouraged to wear orange. In addition, the first 300 fans can pick up an All Auburn, All Orange t-shirt. Fans will also have a chance to meet and take photos with one of the Auburn eagles, which will be on the main concourse. Doors open at 3 p.m.
It's also Alumni Weekend as the Tigers will welcome back former players and staff with a reception Saturday night and on-court recognition at halftime of Sunday's game.
Tickets are available at the Neville Arena ticket office on gameday or by visiting AUBTix.com.
Both teams look to bounce back after tough starts to SEC play. The Tigers (10-5, 0-3) fell on the road at No. 1 South Carolina Thursday night, while Alabama (12-4, 1-2) dropped a one-point game to Missouri at home Thursday.
ON THE AIR
›› Brit Bowen and Larry DiChiara will have the radio call on WQSI 93.9 FM beginning at 3:45 p.m. The broadcast can also be heard on AuburnTigers.com and the Auburn Athletics app.
›› Sunday's game can be seen on SEC Network with Sam Gore and Tamika Catchings calling the action.
LAST TIME OUT
›› No. 1 South Carolina lived up to its top billing as Auburn fell 94-42 Thursday night at Colonial Life Arena.
›› The Tigers (10-5, 0-3 SEC) struggled from the field and on the boards as the Gamecocks (15-0, 3-0) controlled the pace and were able to score inside, outside and at the free-throw line.
›› Sania Wells scored a season-high 13 points on her best shooting night of the year, going 6-of-8 from the field. Aicha Coulibaly added a team-leading 16, and Sydney Shaw scored 11 to give the Tigers three in double-figures.
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Surpass the Tigers' win total from the entire 2021-22 season with their 11th of the year.
›› Snap a 7-game skid against Alabama.
›› Improve Auburn to 10-2 at home.
AUBURN-ALABAMA SERIES
›› This is the 99th meeting between Auburn and Alabama in women's basketball. Auburn is 53-45 all-time against the Crimson Tide, but Alabama has won the last seven meetings.
LAST MEETING: March 2, 2022, at Nashville
Alabama 75, Auburn 68
›› Auburn took a lead to the fourth quarter, but a late cold spell for the Tigers allowed Alabama to pull ahead and hold on Auburn fell 75-68 at Bridgestone Arena in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
›› Auburn used a 10-0 run midway through the third quarter to turn a 7-point deficit into as much as a five-point lead, but a 9-0 run for Alabama early in the fourth put the Tide back ahead for good.
›› Four players finished in double-figures for the Tigers. Honesty Scott-Grayson led Auburn with 13 points, Annie Hughes had 12, and Aicha Coulibaly and Sania Wells added 10 apiece. Precious Johnson led the Tigers with six rebounds and three steals, and Wells had a team-best four assists.
SCOUTING THE TIDE
›› Alabama is 12-4 overall, 1-2 in SEC play, and enter Sunday's game having dropped their last two contests to Tennessee and Missouri.
›› The Tide average 73.3 points/game and hold opponents to 55.8. Alabama leads the SEC in 3-pointers made with 9.6 per game, 3-point percenage (.382) and free-throw percentage (.737).
›› Brittany Davis is third in the SEC and leads Alabama in scoring at 17.4 points/game. She also leads the league in 3-pointers made (2.63/game).
SCOUTING AUBURN
›› Auburn is 10-5 overall, 0-3 in SEC play after falling at No. 1 South Carolina Thursday night. The Tigers won seven straight to close out non-conference play, the last six coming at home. Auburn is 9-2 at home this season.
›› The Tigers rank 7th nationally with 5.7 blocks per game. Auburn is also top-50 nationally in turnovers forced per game at 20.9 (26th), turnover margin at +4.8 (35th), and steals per game at 10.5 (40th).
›› Junior Aicha Coulibaly is sixth in the SEC in scoring (16.7 ppg) and fifth in steals (2.1 spg). She has two double-doubles this season, with her last coming against UCF Dec. 3 (17 points, 12 rebounds). She was a preseason All-SEC Second Team selection. Coulibaly missed the Tigers' last three games of non-conference but has been the leading scorer in each of Auburn's first three SEC games.
›› Honesty Scott-Grayson averages 15.8 points to rank second on the team and 8th in the SEC. She led Auburn in scoring in seven of the last eight games she played, topping the 20-point mark four times including a career-high 31 against North Carolina A&T. She is also the Tigers' top 3-point shooter, hitting 49.0% from long range (25-51) to rank 11th nationally. She has missed the first three games of SEC play with minor injuries.
›› Redshirt sophomore Romi Levy recorded double-doubles against both Alabama State and Little Rock. Against Little Rock, she had career-highs in points (18) and rebounds (13) for her second career double-double.
›› Freshman point guard Sydney Shaw leads the Tigers with 3.4 assists/game, which ranks 11th in the SEC and leads all SEC freshmen. She scored a career-high 15 points and matched a season-best with 6 assists in the win over Louisiana-Lafayette, and she scored at least 14 points in 3 of the last 4 non-conference games.
›› Auburn's newcomers have all made an immediate impact with three freshmen - Kaitlyn Duhon, Sydney Shaw and Kharyssa Richardson - starting each of the first four games. Duhon scored 17 points in the win over South Alabama. Richardson had a season-high 9 rebounds vs. Colorado State before leaving the game with injury. Junior Jakayla Johnson has earned six starts, scoring 8+ points in three of those.
UP NEXT
›› After an open date, the Tigers are back in action next Sunday, Jan. 15, on the road at No. 7 LSU. Game time is 2 p.m. CT at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.
Auburn set for rivalry showdown with Alabama
