CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Auburn Tigers (6-3) defeated the Virginia Cavaliers (6-4) 66-57 Thursday night, winning their SEC/ACC Challenge matchup for the second consecutive year.
The Tigers were propelled to victory behind strong performances from graduate seniors DeYona Gaston and Taylen Collins. Gaston recorded 23 points and six rebounds, while Collins logged 14 points and seven rebounds. Gaston also led the Tigers on the defensive end, piling up five steals and three blocks to accompany her stellar offensive play.
“She wasn’t feeling her best, but she knew we needed her to play really well,” Coach Johnnie Harris said regarding Gaston. “I thought she played hard. We can talk about her scoring, her rebounding, but she got five steals, so she was in a good position a lot, and she was guarding out on the perimeter a lot.”
The Tigers' defense was stellar in this one, forcing 21 turnovers and racking up six blocks as well. Gaston led the way in both categories, but she was not alone in her excellent performance, as senior guard Mar’shaun Bostic came away with three steals and Collins recorded two blocks as well. Auburn’s defense down the stretch catapulted them to the victory, forcing 11 second-half turnovers and holding the ‘Hoos scoreless in the last 3:44 of the fourth quarter.
Virginia did not go down quietly in this one, getting another great performance out of Kymora Johnson who finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds. The Cavaliers switched to a zone early, the first time they have played a zone all season, and caused some trouble for the Tigers. The Cavaliers were able to force 14 turnovers and turn most of their opportunities into points, logging 22 points off turnovers and eight in the fourth quarter which kept Virginia in this one, but the Tigers were able to get a much-needed win on the road.
“I think it’s great, especially for the SEC/ACC Challenge,” Auburn forward Taylen Collins said after the game. “It’s just great to do that for the SEC all together. But for us, it just keeps our momentum going and on to the next.”
The Tigers will head back to Auburn after a 24-day road trip, including a trip to the Caribbean for the Paradise Jam. Long road trips can take a toll on teams, and Auburn assistant coach Savannah Carter spoke about what the Tigers were able to do to win this one despite being exhausted from being on the road.
“[We] finished the game,” Carter said. “We’ve been on the road for dang near three weeks, and now we’re down two other people. To be honest, it was just finishing the game”
The Tigers will return to Neville Arena for an afternoon matchup with the UAB Blazers on Sunday, with tipoff slotted at 2 p.m. CT. It will be broadcast live on SECN+ and the Auburn Sports Network.
