AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn Tigers collected their 1,000th win in program history Thursday night, dominating the Little Rock Trojans 82-48.
Arkansas transfer Taliah Scott was inserted into coach Johnnie Harris’s starting lineup for the first time this season after battling injury, and she wasted no time announcing herself to the Auburn faithful. In a historic effort, Scott tied the program record for three-pointers made in a single game, cashing in on eight deep balls.
Scott led the SEC in scoring a year ago, averaging a ridiculous 22.1 points per game. Getting a transfer like that will always turn heads, but after tonight, she has all of Auburn’s attention.
Her first three-pointer came just under a minute into the game, and from there she was in a groove.
“It made me feel like I was already in a rhythm,” Scott said of her first triple. “Making that first one, it kind of calmed me down. Not playing a game for four, five, six months, your adrenaline is high. Making that first one calmed me down. I’m like, ‘Okay, I can relax. I got this.’”
She wasn’t just throwing up shots either, as Scott finished with a very efficient 57 percent three-point field goal percentage. The majority of her looks were catch-and-shoot from the corner, and she was deadly when she got the ball in her spot.
“I had teammates finding me in the open spots,” Scott remarked. “Most of my shots were catch-and-shoots, so that’s a credit to my teammates for getting me the ball in positions where I’ll be successful.”
The scoring was a known factor of her game coming into the season, but her rebounding ability, something she had been working on since her transfer, was on full display. Last season at Arkansas, Scott averaged just 3.3 rebounds per game. She nearly recorded a double-double in her Auburn debut, bringing down nine boards.
“Last year that’s where I really lacked,” said Scott. “I feel like that’s where I really need to grow this year to become a better player. Going out there and being able to rebound the ball like I did, it just shows how much I’m growing as a player and how much energy I have compared to last year.”
There was no easing into her role on her new team. She started at guard and received 33 minutes of playing time in her first game in a Tiger uniform.
“She was ready to play,” coach Harris said after the game. “I mean, that kid is hungry, she’s coachable and she has fun. She’s a big kid. She loves to have fun, and when she’s having fun she’s playing well. I just saw her getting into her groove. What you saw is exactly who she is.”
It’s hard to imagine a better start for Taliah Scott, but all of Auburn hopes it’s just that. The start. A pure scorer, she has already begun to fill in an Honesty Scott-Grayson-sized hole in the Auburn roster that was left after Scott-Grayson graduated and was picked up by the Washington Mystics last year.
Transferring to Auburn in just her sophomore year, Taliah Scott will still have plenty more to show as an Auburn Tiger, but her debut will be one that will not be soon forgotten.
She’ll be in action next when the Tigers start their 24-day long road trip in Eugene, Oregon. Auburn is set to take on the Oregon Ducks on Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcasted by the B10+ Network and will have radio coverage from Auburn Sports Properties on the Auburn Athletics App.
