AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn women’s basketball will wrap up their non-conference schedule Sunday afternoon when the Tigers host Norfolk State. Game time is 2 p.m. CT at Neville Arena.
The Tigers (9-3) look to finish off a second straight unbeaten December as they enter Sunday’s game on a four-game winning streak. Norfolk State (11-4) faces its third SEC opponent of the season; the Spartans defeated Missouri and fell to Alabama in their previous meetings.
Fans arriving early can pick up a limited edition Auburn basketball scarf while supplies last.
Tickets are available in advance by visiting AUBTix.com or calling 855-282-2010. They can also be purchased at the Neville Arena ticket office on gameday.
PARKING INFO (NEW FOR 2024-25)
›› The Neville Arena parking lot is now a reserved permit-only lot for premium reserved season-ticket holders. This lot will only be accessible with a parking pass. Parking for all other fans is available in the Campus Safety Lot, Coliseum Lot and Stadium Deck.
›› Accessible parking is available in the Neville Arena parking lot with a valid state-issued ADA hang tag or license plate. This will be strictly enforced. These areas will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional accessible parking is available in the lots at the corner of Wire Road and Extension Loop, Campus Safety and Coliseum lot.
ON THE AIR
›› Brit Bowen and Larry DiChiara will have the radio call on ESPN 106.7 FM beginning at 1:45 p.m. CT. The broadcast can also be heard on AuburnTigers.com and the Auburn Athletics app.
›› The game can be seen on SEC Network + with Lyn Rollins and Joe Ciampi calling the action.
LAST TIME OUT
›› Deyona Gaston scored 35 points, one shy of her career high, to lead Auburn over Alabama State 83-40 Saturday at Neville Arena, the Tigers’ fourth straight win.
›› Gaston exited midway through the fourth quarter after her free throw gave the Tigers a 50-point lead. The graduate student was 14 of 17 from the field and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line.
›› Celia Sumbane dazzled at both ends of the floor, filling the box score with 16 points, six rebounds, six assists, four steals and a blocked shot.
›› Dressed out for the first time this season after recovering from injury, 6-5 sophomore Yakiya Milton gave Auburn a spark with six points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in the absence of fellow forward Taylen Collins, who was ill.
AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Improve the Tigers to 6-0 at home this year.
›› Give Auburn its second straight unbeaten December.
›› Send Auburn into SEC play on a five-game winning streak.
SERIES HISTORY VS. NORFOLK STATE
›› This is the second meeting with Norfolk State in women’s basketball. Auburn won the only prior meeting at home last season, 67-39.
›› Auburn is 6-0 all-time against current members of the MEAC.
LAST MEETING: Dec. 16, 2023, at Auburn
Auburn 67, Norfolk State 39
›› 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 at Neville Arena.
›› 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.
›› 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.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
›› Norfolk State is 11-4 on the year and has already played two SEC teams. The Spartans defeated Missouri 57-54 on Nov. 10 and played Alabama to a 10-point game at 68-58 three days later.
›› The Spartans average 65.2 points per game and give up 60.1. Norfolk averages 11.3 steals per game which ranks 36th nationally.
›› Diamond Johnson, the preseason MEAC Player of the Year, leads the Spartans with 17.8 points, 4.3 assists and 2.9 steals per game.
SCOUTING AUBURN
›› Auburn is 9-3 and on a four-game winning streak after an 83-40 win over Alabama State last Saturday.
›› Graduate student DeYona Gaston leads the Tigers with 22.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, ranking in the SEC’s top 10 in both categories. She set a Neville Arena record for an Auburn player with 36 points in the win over VUL, then nearly matched that with 35 points vs. Alabama State. She has four double-doubles so far this season, including a 29-point, 10-rebound performance at ULL on Dec. 18. For her efforts against ULL and Alabama State, she was named SEC Player of the Week. Gaston also hit a corner 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to beat Northern Iowa on Nov. 28; it was just the second 3-pointer of her five-year collegiate career. She added 23 points to lead the Tigers to a win at Virginia Dec. 5.
›› Sophomore Taliah Scott, a transfer from Arkansas, made a splash in her Auburn debut, tying the program record for single-game 3-pointers with eight in the Tigers’ win over Little Rock Nov. 14. She scored 26 points in the game along with a career-high 9 rebounds. She followed that up with a 28-point night at Oregon where she knocked down seven 3-pointers. She has missed the last seven games with injury.
›› Graduate student Taylen Collins averages 9.7 points and 6.5 rebounds so far this season. She recorded her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the win over UAB Dec. 8. Collins hit double-digit scoring twice at the Paradise Jam and had 10 rebounds in the win over Pitt, then scored a then-season high 14 in the win at Virginia.
›› Senior Mar’Shaun Bostic has been the Tigers’ starting point guard most of the season, currently ranking fourth in the SEC with 5.3 assists per game. She’s had five or more assists in eight of 12 games so far. One of the fastest players and top defenders in the SEC, she led the Tigers with 1.6 steals per game in 2023-24 and is currently second on the team with 1.9 steals per game this year.
›› Junior Kaitlyn Duhon had a strong showing at the Paradise Jam, scoring 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers vs. Kansas, and turning four steals into eight points vs. UNI. Another elite defender, Duhon averaged 1.2 steals per game while scoring 5.4 points/game last season. Duhon was strong in the opener with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals off the bench, then bested that effort vs. VUL with 13 points, 3 assists and 4 steals. She has missed the last four games with an injury sustained late in the Kansas game Nov. 30.
›› Senior Celia Sumbane scored a career-high 19 points with 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals vs. VUL. She was then named to the Paradise Jam all-tournament team after averaging 10.2 points in the tournament, including 16 in the final game vs. Kansas. She leads the Tigers in field goal percentage at 54.4%.
›› Sophomore Audia Young opened the season with a bang, scoring a career-high 11 points on 3-4 3FG along with four steals vs. SIU. She then set another career high vs. VUL with 18 points, 4 assists and 5 steals. She hit double-digits a third time with 11 points in the win over Pitt, which included three 3-pointers, and she hit a crucial 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to help secure the win at Virginia.
›› True freshmen Jordan Hunter and Syriah Daniels - two of the top high school players in Alabama a year ago - saw their first collegiate action vs. SIU. Hunter had 6 assists and 4 rebounds off the bench in the opener, then went 7-for-7 from the field for 15 points along with 6 assists vs. VUL. Daniels had 12 points and 4 steals in the VUL win, then scored a career-high 14 points in her first career start to help the Tigers come from behind to beat UAB Dec. 8.
›› Junior Oyindamola Akinbolawa has made five starts in the post, averaging 3.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. She played her best career game vs. Northern Iowa at the Paradise Jam, finishing with 7 points and 10 rebounds, including her first career 3-pointer. She then scored a career-high 10 points at UL-Lafayette Dec. 18 and just missed her first career double-double with nine rebounds.
UP NEXT
›› Auburn opens Southeastern Conference play Thursday, Jan. 2, when the Tigers host No. 25 Ole Miss at Neville Arena. Game time is 6 p.m. CT.