AUBURN, Ala. – Winning its home opener for the 44th time in the past 45 years, Auburn never trailed against Jacksonville State, beating the Gamecocks 78-49 Monday in Tipoff on The Plains at Neville Arena.
"I thought my kids played really hard," Auburn coach Johnnie Harris said. "I thought we started off well and I thought we finished well. We're a work in progress with so many new pieces but it's coming together."
A trio of returners and a newcomer scored in double figures, with veterans Honesty Scott-Grayson (14), Kaityn Duhon (13) and Mar'shaun Bostic (12) combining for 39 points.
"I can run this team and with encouragement from Coach J, I said my junior year is the year where I set apart from all the years," Bostic said of her starting point guard role. "I'm supposed to be the one who runs the floor, the one who facilitates and plays hard on defense. A talk from Coach J really helped me build my confidence."
In her Auburn debut, freshman Savannah Scott scored 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
"She has a very high basketball IQ," Harris said. "She comes from a good program, she's been coached hard and been developed. You'll see her get better and better as she catches up with the speed of the game. She plays really hard."
Taylen Collins' jumper in the paint gave the Tigers an early 10-2 lead before Jacksonville State twice pulled within one point in a high-scoring first quarter after which the Tigers led 24-20.
Auburn turned up the defensive intensity in the second quarter, holding JSU scoreless for more than seven minutes while the Gamecocks missed their first 12 shots of the period during a 9-0 Auburn run.
"They had a come to Johnnie meeting," Harris said. "We were giving up middle drives. During the break, we told them to stop the middle drive. That made a big difference. We got on the boards a little better, contested shots better and played a little tougher on defense."
Duhon and Scott-Grayson each scored nine points in the first half as Auburn outscored JSU 17-6 in the second quarter.
"My guards gave me the ball. I had a lot of inside looks coming off screens," said Duhon, who was 6 for 9 shooting. "They were trusting me."
In the closing seconds of the half, Scott-Grayson grabbed a defensive rebound, dribbled the length of the court and beat the buzzer with a fadeaway jumper to give Auburn a 41-26 halftime lead.
In the third quarter Scott extended the Tigers' lead to 20 points before Duhon's steal and floater and Scott-Grayson's jumper capped an 8-0 run that put Auburn ahead 53-29.
Scott-Grayson's 3-pointer gave the Tigers a 25-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Carsen McFadden accounted for Auburn's final points with a crowd-pleasing 3-pointer with 8 seconds remaining.
Auburn outrebounded Jacksonville State 44-31 and outscored the Gamecocks 11-0 in second-chance points.
Bostic led Auburn with four of the Tigers' 11 steals, part of 19 JSU turnovers that resulted in a 24-9 Auburn advantage in points off turnovers. Bostic and Sydney Shaw led Auburn with four assists apiece.
With the win Auburn improved to 43-10 all-time in season openers and earned its sixth straight triumph over Jacksonville State (0-1) and a 16-1 series lead.
Auburn (1-0) will look to add another non-conference victory Thursday at 7 p.m. CT when the Tigers host Louisiana at Neville Arena.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
Auburn tops Jax State 78-49 in Tipoff on the Plains
