AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn earned its sixth consecutive victory, outscoring Norfolk State by 20 points in the third quarter and scoring 20 consecutive second-half points to defeat the Spartans 67-39 Saturday at Neville Arena.
"The kids came out fighting and battling," Auburn coach Johnnie Harris said. "I like how we came out in the second half, and the resiliency of this team. They're playing hard and trusting us so when we make adjustments, they're doing everything we ask them to do and getting better because of that."
JaMya Mingo-Young tied an Auburn record for free throws without a miss, going 12-for-12 while leading her team in points, rebounds and assists. She scored 16, grabbed five rebounds and made four assists without committing a turnover.
"A whole lot of practice. We shoot free throws every day. Just being up there having muscle memory," Mingo-Young said. "The zero turnovers make me the most proud. Being solid, just running my team, running the offense, doing what the coaches want and leading."
Honesty Scott-Grayson overcame a slow start and scored all 12 of her points in the second half. Taylen Collins added 10 points, tied Mingo-Young with five rebounds and led Auburn with four steals.
"We want to apply pressure and be in the passing lanes, and be as disruptive as we can on defense," Collins said. "We wanted to build off each win. As early as it is, we want to keep building that resume for ourselves and keep striving to get more and more. Not settle, remain humble but still keep pushing."
Auburn held a second straight opponent to fewer than 40 points after thrashing Alabama State 94-37 three days earlier. After setting the program record with 28 steals vs. ASU, the Tigers made 13 steals against Norfolk State and forced 27 turnovers.
Sydney Shaw set the tone with a 3-pointer from the left wing off the opening tip. Collins scored in the paint, drew a foul and made the free throw, later adding another pair of free throws to give Auburn an 8-0 lead.
Norfolk State closed the gap with a 7-0 run but Shaw ended the quarter the way she began it, with a baseline jumper that put the Tigers on top 13-9 after the quarter.
The visiting Spartans took the lead in the second quarter before Kaitlyn Duhon hit a 3-pointer during a 9-0 Auburn run that helped the Tigers lead 26-20 at the half.
After missing her first eight shots, Scott-Grayson stole an inbounds pass and scored after Collins' layup to give the Tigers four quick third-quarter points.
Mingo-Young grabbed a defensive rebound and hit a jumper from the top of the key before adding a pair of free throws during a 7-0 run that gave Auburn a double-digit lead midway through the third quarter.
"In the second half, we got stops and rebounds, pushing, passing up, basically playing faster," Mingo-Young said.
"She has brought toughness," Harris said of Auburn's transfer point guard. "She wants to do what her coaches want, and she instills that in her team. That comes from maturity and playing in my system before. She demands that from her team and her team respects her because she's a great teammate."
Scott-Grayson's old-school 3-point-play and pair of free throws helped Auburn score the final 14 points of the quarter to take a 53-27 lead heading to the final period.
"I challenged Honesty at halftime. I put her on their best player and she responded," Harris said. "That affected us on the defensive end as well. We got stops because of that and some run-outs as well."
Auburn scored the first six points of the fourth quarter with Duhon's second-chance layup capping a 20-0 run that gave the Tigers a 32-point lead.
With the win, Auburn improved to 14-0 in December non-conference games under Harris in three seasons.
Kierra Wheeler logged a double-double for Norfolk State (7-4) with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Auburn (9-2) plays its final game before the holiday break vs. Washington State Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT at Neville Arena.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
Auburn beats Norfolk State 67-39 for sixth straight win
