It’s not an overstatement to say that Auburn’s first half stretch of SEC games have been grueling, demanding and ultimately punishing for the Tigers. The first five conference matchups for Johnni Harris’ squad have a combined record of 79-11, including today’s matchup vs a top five opponent.
The Auburn Tigers (10-7, 0-5 SEC) took a trip to the Bayou to take on the LSU Tigers (18-0, 6-0 SEC) on January 15 at 2:00 CT inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Auburn was without their leading scorer, Aicha Coulibaly, for the second straight game. This news did not aid the Auburn Tigers, as they remained winless outside Neville Arena, dropping today’s contest 84-54.
There are a few key traits that cannot be taught in sports. Whether it be speed in baseball or strength in football, height seems to be the biggest unteachable trait in basketball. This LSU squad provides a perfect example of how important height is, as they lead Division One Women’s Basketball with a rebounding margin of +23.1 led by LSU power forward Angel Reese. Her 6’3” height and reach overpowered the paint per usual, hitting her season average collecting 15 rebounds. In large thanks to the rebounding category, the Bayou Bengals also lead Division 1 WBB in points per game, hitting just under 90 points per contest. Reese (23 points) was one of four LSU Tigers that finished in double figures in the points column.
The Auburn Tigers struggled finding the bottom of the net, especially from behind the arc. For a team that shoots almost 35% from deep, Auburn was held to only six points on triples, going 2-13. They also shot only 37.5% on free throws, leaving ten possible points on the line (6-16). Auburn did find positives with Kharyssa Richardson and Precious Johsnon (season high 13 points) leading the way for the Tigers, combining for 23 points on 10-16 shooting.
“We did get some good looks”, head coach Johnni Harris said. “The difference was when we flipped the floor. I talked to them about great shots versus good shots. We were settling for 18, 17, 15 footers instead of getting something better”, Harris mentioned.
A word used to describe this Auburn team by the on-air announcers was “fight”, and all the credit in the world goes to coach Harris and the coaching staff for providing the right mentality toward her players. No matter what the scoreboard may show, this team fights. The energy levels do not drop off no matter the five that are on the floor, the bench supports every made shot and every good defensive possession, and the staff fights from tip to buzzer. All of these are extremely valuable characteristics to have on a team, but it speaks to the true character of the team when they are shown in times that do not lead to immediate success.
“I thought our team came in here and competed, and that’s what I wanted to see. We can build on that," Harris voiced about her players willingness to compete in a tough environment. “I wanted to see some toughness, and I did."
Auburn has a couple days to regroup before they are back on the road. The Tigers travel to Starkvegas to take on the Bulldogs of Mississippi State (13-5, 2-3 SEC), where they hope to pick up their first road win of the season before heading home.
