LUBBOCK, Texas – Despite leading for more than 34 minutes, Auburn women's basketball suffered its first loss of the season Friday night, falling to Texas Tech 73-71 at United Supermarkets Arena.
The Tigers (3-1) built a 13-point advantage in the third quarter and carried a seven-point lead into the final period, but the Lady Raiders (4-0) rallied in the closing minutes behind a pair of 3-pointers from Jalynn Bristow to escape with the two-point victory.
“We have to stop fouling,” head coach Larry Vickers said. “Defensively, we did a terrible job in the second half of just containing the basketball and keeping people in front of us. We're going to give up a lot of 70-point games if we continue to do so.”
Kaitlyn Duhon led Auburn with a game-high 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting, adding six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Phoenix Stotijn followed with 15 points and three 3-pointers, while Jessica Peterson added 10 points and six rebounds. Ja'Mia Harris finished with eight points, while Quanirah Montague provided six points, five rebounds and three steals off the bench.
Auburn got off to a strong start behind Stotijn, who connected on a pair of early 3-pointers. Peterson added two baskets, while Danielle Osho knocked down a transition 3-pointer to extend Auburn's lead to 13-4.
The Tigers stretched their advantage to 17-6 before Texas Tech cut into the deficit. Sania Richardson closed the first-quarter scoring with a jumper to give Auburn a 19-10 lead after 10 minutes.
Texas Tech responded in the second quarter, connecting on four 3-pointers and outscoring Auburn 24-17. Duhon and Zaniyah Williams combined for four free throws in the closing seconds to send Auburn into halftime leading 36-34.
The Tigers came out of the locker room firing, opening the third quarter with a 14-5 run to build a 50-39 advantage. Harris provided a spark with a pair of layups, while Stotijn connected on her third 3-pointer of the night.
Auburn extended its lead to a game-high 13 points, 57-44, on a Harris 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining in the period. Texas Tech answered with a late push, but the Tigers maintained a 58-51 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
The Lady Raiders chipped away at Auburn's lead in the final period, taking the lead on a late 3-pointer from Bristow. Bristow delivered another 3-pointer with 1:23 to play, stretching Texas Tech's advantage to 72-68. Richardson and Duhon combined for three free throws to bring Auburn within one, 72-71, with 43 seconds remaining. Auburn had an opportunity to regain the lead in the closing seconds, but the attempt was off the mark.
Auburn shot 48 percent from the field, connecting on 24-of-50 attempts, and held a 30-22 advantage in points in the paint. The Tigers also scored 21 points off 20 Texas Tech turnovers.
Bristow led Texas Tech with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Destinee Hooks added 12 points.
Auburn returns to Neville Arena on Tuesday to host Seton Hall for Movie Night at Neville. Fans can enjoy free popcorn while supplies last. The contest can be streamed on SEC Network+, with audio available on AuburnTigers.com, the Auburn Athletics app and locally on ESPN 106.7 FM.