The Auburn women’s basketball team will wrap up its five-game road trip along the east coast this week as the Tigers head to Savannah, Georgia to compete in the Savannah Invitational.
Auburn (3-0) will face Ball State (2-0) Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. CST, followed by matchups against Marist (0-4) Wednesday and No. 19 West Virginia on Thanksgiving Day. By the end of the tournament, the undefeated Tigers will have played four games in five days.
The Tigers enter the Savannah Invitational a single spot out of the AP Top 25, as Auburn sits at No. 26, 10 votes behind No. 25 Gonzaga.
Auburn’s defense has made national headlines as the Tigers rank highly in three major defensive categories: second in steals per game (18.7), third in turnovers forced per game (31.7), and 10th in scoring defense (46.7 ppg). The Tigers lead the SEC in steals per game and turnovers forced per game and rank second in scoring defense.
As expected coming into the season, seniors Brandy Montgomery and Katie Frerking are leading the Tigers thus far. Montgomery leads Auburn in scoring, averaging 16.7 per game. Frerking leads the Tigers in rebounds (9.3 per game), assists (3.7 per game), steals (4.3 per game) and blocks (1.7 per game).
Ball State is led by their two posts, Renee Bennett and Moriah Monaco, who both average 19 points per game. Bennett also averages 10.5 rebounds per game. The Cardinals have knocked off Arkansas Pine Bluff and Evansville this season.
The Red Wolves of Marist are led by Allie Clement and Rebekah Hand, who average 12.3 and 10.8 points per game, respectively. Marist has dropped contests to Hofstra, Rhode Island, Seton Hall and Holy Cross this season.
Last season’s Big 12 Freshman of the Year Tynice Martin leads the No. 19 West Virginia Mountaineers, averaging 21 points per game to go along with a 100 percent free throw percentage through three games. West Virginia have defeated Charleston Southern, Howard, and Coppin State thus far.
Auburn and Ball State have met twice all-time with the Tigers winning both meetings. The last came on November 29, 2013, when Auburn earned a 67-51 win in Las Vegas. Auburn is 2-1 all-time against Marist, and the Tigers will be meeting West Virginia for the first time.
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