AUBURN, Ala. – In a storybook closing chapter to a spectacular career, Honesty Scott-Grayson scored a career-high 32 points in her Neville Arena finale Thursday to lead Auburn to a 77-60 wire-to-wire win over Mississippi State on Senior Night.
"Knowing this is my last time playing at Neville Arena, I had a flashback to when I first stepped on campus in 2019," said Scott-Grayson, who was 12-for-23 from the field including 4 of 10 from the 3-point line. "I've grown a lot and I'm very proud of myself and where I am today. Wouldn't have done it without my coaching staff, teammates and parents. I'm very thankful and blessed."
Scott-Grayson tied her career high of 31 on a layup with 1:25 to play, drawing a foul and making the free throw to tie Blanche Alverson's Neville Arena record of 32 points by an Auburn player, set in 2013.
"This was a must-win for us," Scott-Grayson said. "Everybody's on the same page and bought in. We executed and I'm proud of us for that. This is it (at home) but we're still not done. We've still got a lot of work to do. It's on to the next game."
Exiting after giving her team a 17-point lead, Scott-Grayson hugged Auburn coach Johnnie Harris while the majority of the 2,818 fans loudly voiced their approval and appreciation.
"It was unreal," Scott-Grayson said. "I've been through a lot with Coach J, all the hard work, dedication, buying into her system, her believing in me. I appreciate her for that."
"She deserved that," Harris said. "Honesty is truly special. This place means a lot to her. This is a player who loves Auburn."
Leading by nine at the half, Scott-Grayson hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored 11 points in an evenly matched third quarter.
"She found a way to get herself open," Harris said. "As she always does, she carried us. She wanted to come back to help lead this team to the tournament. She's done everything she could to make that happen. We knew we had to get this one. Our kids were locked in from the beginning."
Taylen Collins scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to give Auburn a 13-point lead before Mississippi State used a 6-0 run to get within seven with 7:22 to play.
Auburn turned up the heat down the stretch, forcing six turnovers in the quarter to secure the victory. The Tigers forced 17 turnovers in the game while committing only six, leading to a 25-7 advantage in points off turnovers.
McKenna Eddings scored six of her 13 points in the final quarter.
"Confidence is key," Eddings said. "Having the green light to shoot the ball. I was able to do that today."
The Tigers (18-10, 7-8) earned their sixth SEC home victory of the season, the second-most in program history and most at Neville Arena, while snapping an 11-game losing streak against the Bulldogs.
The win was Auburn's fifth over a top-50 NET opponent, further bolstering the Tigers' NCAA Tournament resume.
"An emotional day. Our seniors are so special," Harris said. "They mean so much to us and they've done so much for this program. I wanted our team to give me everything they have for these seniors, and they did that. Our seniors set the tone."
Auburn crashed the glass with fervor in the first quarter, outrebounding State 13-7 and converting seven offensive rebounds into nine second-chance points while building a 19-12 lead after the first 10 minutes.
"That was one of our keys," Harris said. "We knew had to go to the boards and go early. Rebounding is about heart and effort. They fought for them."
The Tigers forced only two turnovers in the opening quarter but turned them into five points. Scott-Grayson scored 10 points in the first quarter and 14 in the half.
Eddings hit a 3-pointer to give Auburn a 13-point lead midway through the second quarter before State used a 7-0 run to get within six. Scott-Grayson passed to Taylen Collins for a bucket that ended the drought.
Scott-Grayson scored a layup in transition after Mingo-Young's steal and assist to give Auburn a 12-point lead with 13 seconds remaining in the half before State's Darrione Rogers banked in a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer and pull the Bulldogs (20-10, 7-8) within nine.
Auburn closes out the 2023-24 regular season vs. Florida Sunday at 11 a.m. CT at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville as the Tigers seek to remove any doubt about an NCAA Tournament bid.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
Scott-Grayson's career high leads Auburn over MSU on Senior Night
