AUBURN, Ala. – Taliah Scott needed less than a minute in an Auburn uniform to show fans what they can expect from one of the SEC’s most prolific scorers.
In her Auburn debut, Scott made three consecutive 3-pointers before the first media timeout, tied the program and arena record with eight 3-pointers and scored 26 points to lead the Tigers past Little Rock 82-48 Thursday at Neville Arena, the 1,000th victory in program history.
“It was fun being out there,” Scott said. “It’s been a long three or fourth months, rehabbing and trying to get healthy. We’ve been through all the hard stuff, practicing and conditioning. Being able to compete with my team and win together, it was an amazing feeling and I’m so happy to be back.”
Scott’s marksmanship equaled Tiffany Krantz’s 27-year-old program record while matching Bryce Brown’s Neville Arena record.
“She was ready to play,” Auburn coach Johnnie Harris said. “That kid is hungry. She’s coachable. She’s a big kid. She loves to have fun and when she’s having fun, she plays well. I saw her getting into her groove. What you saw is exactly who she is.”
Scott, who missed the Tigers’ first two games with an injury after transferring from Arkansas, swished her first 3-pointer at the 9:09 mark of the first quarter and made two more two 3s a couple minutes later during an 11-0 run that gave Auburn an early 10-point lead.
“That made me feel like I was already in rhythm, making that first one, it calmed me down,” said Scott, who averaged 22.1 points per game last season and was a five-time SEC Freshman of the Week. “Coming back, not playing a game for six months, your adrenaline is high.”
DeYona Gaston recorded her second straight double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds.
“I take pride in my rebounding,” Gaston said. “My focus is to get into the right position to get the rebound.”
Little Rock scored seven consecutive points to get within two before Mar’Shaun Bostic’s steal and assist in transition to Audia Young with 10 seconds remaining gave Auburn a 17-13 lead after the first quarter.
The Trojans tied the score at 17-17 before Jordan Hunter’s 3-pointer regained the lead for the Tigers, who led 31-25 at the half thanks to Gaston’s six points and five rebounds in the second quarter.
Auburn opened the second half with a 16-0 run that featured Scott’s fourth and fifth 3-pointers to build a 22-point lead. The sophomore sharpshooter sank her sixth 3-pointer midway through the third quarter to help Auburn lead 56-35 heading to the final period.
“We came out and played really well in the third quarter and it got away from them,” Harris said.
Scott added two more 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, concluding her first Auburn game going 8-for-14 on 3-point attempts while adding nine rebounds and two assists in a game-high 33 minutes.
“I was surprised about the rebounds,” Scott said. “It shows how much I’m growing as a player and how much energy I have this year compared to last year.”
Auburn becomes the 32nd NCAA Division I program and sixth current SEC member to record 1,000 victories. Women’s basketball became a varsity sport on the Plains in 1971-72.
The Tigers forced 24 turnovers and outscored Little Rock 26-5 in points off turnovers.
“That’s our identity,” Harris said. “That’s what we do. We take pride in that.”
Auburn (3-0) hits the road for the better part of the next month, beginning a six-game road trip at No. 25 Oregon Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. CT.
“Everybody’s going to have their moment,” Harris said. “Just be ready when your number is called.”
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer