Coming on the back of a six-game losing streak the Auburn Tigers’ Women’s Basketball team came back looking for their first SEC win against the Alabama Crimson Tide. On a historic day for Auburn Women’s Basketball, with the hanging of a banner for the winningest coach in Auburn Women’s basketball history, Joe Champi, Auburn simply could not get it done falling, 75-68. This was due to a combination of Alabama’s Khyla Wade-Warren with 24 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and a lack of production in the second half, because of a “lot of kids playing a lot of minutes” according to Auburn Head coach Johnie Harris.
Alabama got things started with a jumper from Taylor Sutton, but that would not last long as an Annie Hughes three put the Tigers back in front. Alabama had come out in a zone defense, that seemed to help Auburn as they were able to jump out to a 11-8 despite going 5-11 from the field, with 3:40 remaining in the first period.
Alabama kept up their zone defense, and Auburn just was not able to put the ball through the basket going just 39% from the field. Alabama was able to crawl there way back into the lead, but not before Auburn’s Amoura Graves tied it back up at 15-15 to end the first period.
Coming out of the break Auburn seemed to find new life, by upping the tempo, and Auburn was able to force Alabama to play a more traditional man to man defense. Auburn also forced Alabama into the bonus before the five-minute mark of the second period that helped put Auburn up 27-24.
Auburn proved that a great defense is a great offense as they did not allow Alabama to make a single field goal the last three minutes and 45 seconds of the first half. Auburn was also starting to take the lid off of the basket improving to 50% for field goals, thanks to a larger focus to taking shots closer to the basket in transition, as both Annie Hughes, and Aicha Coulibaly combined 15 of 36 total points for the first half. Auburn looked to be ready for a fight, with themselves up 36-31 at the halfway mark of the game.
Ready for a fight Auburn was with Honesty Scott-Grayson picking up the first points of the first half with a jumper, but the Tide came out of the locker room ready for a fight as well with a layup from Megan Abrams. Alabama truly showed that they were ready to go blow for blow with the Tigers. Alabama began to take a slight advantage with two threes made by Hannah Barber and Brittany Davis that tied the game at 44-44 with five minutes left in the third period.
An over the back foul by Precious Johnson put Alabama in the bonus for the third period at the two minute mark. Alabama would go on to score seven points from and-ones and free throws in the last two minutes and 30 seconds, to put Alabama in the lead, but that did not stop the Tigers from fighting as Annie Hughes hit a massive jumper, something she had done whenever the Tigers desperately needed a bucket, to set up a one point Alabama lead heading into the fourth and final period.
Auburn got the party started with a three from Xaria Wiggins, partially helped by the zone defense that Alabama played. Auburn responded quickly with an almost unreal layup from Honesty Scott-Grayson. After a lot of back and forth, Alabama’s Brittany Davis hit a three that seemed to spell trouble, and another layup on the next possession from Alabama’s Khyla Wade-Warren solidified a 7-0 run that put the Tide up 69-63 with three minutes left in the game.
Auburn was not able to score a field goal after the five-minute mark, barring a last-minute layup that did little to stop the bleeding. The true final nail in the coffin came in the way of Hannah Barber, that put the game firmly in the W column for the Alabama Crimson Tide, with the final score being 75-68.
Although the lost hurt the large crowd that Auburn had accumulated thanks to Alumni Weekend, Coach Johnnie Harris said she will “take credit for this one.” Auburn will be looking to amend broken spirits as they have two big SEC matchups at home, against Kentucky on January 25 at 7:00, and Tennessee on January 27 also at 7:00. When asked about the short turnaround between games coach Johnnie Harris said, that the Auburn Tigers “Have to be ready to play.”
