“All of that is about toughness” – Coach Johnnie Harris
After coming off an 81-66 loss in Vanderbilt, the Auburn Tigers Women’s Basketball team (9-14, 1-9 SEC) came into Auburn Arena to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs (14-7, 5-4 SEC), hungry to feel the same as they did the last time they won against Tennessee on Thursday. However, Auburn just did not have victory in the cards, even after winning the rebound war 39-34 and having less turnovers, the true Achilles heel of this Auburn team came down to struggles at the three-point line, as they lost 70-65.
Mississippi State’s Anastasia Hayes got the first points of the matchup with a jumper from the elbow. However Auburn was able to quickly jump out ahead with an 11-0 run that put the Tigers up 11-2. This fast start would be undone, thanks to Mississippi State’s defense as they were able to hold Auburn scoreless for the final five minutes of the first period.
This scoreless streak was not helped by Auburn’s lackluster production from the three point line and the free throw line as Auburn went 2-13 and 13-25 respectively. Despite this, the Tigers were always able to hang in there as evidenced by a Sania Wells fastbreak layup that helped improve the Tigers situation down 29-28 going into the second half.
Throughout the entire third period, both teams went blow for blow with each other with neither giving an inch, however that changed at the end of the third period when Mississippi got a haymaker in the way of a 14-3 run that put the Bulldogs up 55-45. When asked about the third period, Coach Johnnie Harris did say, “We made some defensive mistakes."
Through out the fourth period it was a different story, an and-one from Auburn’s Honesty Scott-Grayson cut the Bulldog lead and momentum appeared to be on the Tigers side, but they were just not able to close out this game like they wanted to and in the words of coach Johnnie Harris “We didn’t come out and finish.”
From a statistical overview, the Tigers lost this game, losing in categories such as field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage. However the silver lining comes in with the rebounding stat line with Auburn outrebounding the Bulldogs 39-34, but Coach Johnnie Harris did say that Auburn should have more, especially, “Down the stretch, when its important.”
Overall, the Tigers will be disappointed and will be looking to change fortunes in Arkansas on February 10 at 7 p.m., which does give the Tigers ample time to “Get in the gym” as coach Johnnie Harris put it in her post game press conference.
