Moments after the buzzer sounded at Auburn Arena on Sunday, the Auburn bench poured onto the court to celebrate.
Just outside the mob of pink uniforms, senior forward Tra’Cee Tanner and head coach Terri Flournoy-Williams embraced near midcourt.
For the first time in their four years on the Plains, the two were a part of a regular-season victory over Florida, which had defeated the Tigers in each regular-season meeting since Jan. 6, 2011.
The 80-58 win gave Auburn its second win over a top-25 team this season, the most since 2009-10, and inched the Tigers closer to an elusive NCAA Tournament bid.
“We knew this was a game that we could kind of steal,” said Katie Frerking, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead Auburn. “Across the board, everybody came out and did everything that they could do to help us win, and I’m just so proud of everybody.”
Florida entered the game ranked ninth in the country in scoring offense, and the Gators ran wild in the first half.
Senior guard Carlie Needles hit three 3-pointers in the first five minutes to give the Gators an early lead, and Florida scored 43 points on 55.2 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes.
As hot as the visitors were, they couldn’t keep up with the Tigers.
Auburn scored 48 in the first half, which was the second-most in a half this season.
“We were scoring,” said Auburn head coach Terri Flournoy-Williams. “Our offensive game was at its best, but I told them at halftime that we had given up 43 points and we had to do a better job defensively.”
Auburn was not just better in the second half. It was dominant.
The Tigers’ press wore down the Gators, who scored a season-low 15 points and had 12 turnovers in the second half.
“That was the game, right there,” Flournoy-Williams said.
Auburn was in ESPN analyst Charlie Creme’s projected NCAA Tournament field last week, but Creme listed the Tigers as one of his last four teams in.
After their fifth straight win likely put them in the tournament comfortably with three regular season games remaining, Auburn can breathe easy as they head into an off week before a home tilt with Missouri next Sunday.
“They’re humble,” Flournoy-Williams said, “but they’re hungry.”
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