Senior Katie Frerking scored a career-high 30 points and picked up her fourth double-double of the season to lead the Auburn women’s basketball team to a 76-66 win at Louisiana Tech Wednesday night.
The Tigers (8-2) overcame a sloppy start to put up their season-high scoring figure and overcame late foul trouble to hold off a fourth-quarter run by Louisiana Tech (5-4).
“We were missing every shot we were taking [in the first quarter],” Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. “We had to calm down a little. The 3-pointer was wide open at the start of the game, so we were just standing out there and shooting it.
Frerking’s 30-point, 11-rebound effort marked her sixth career double-double and fourth of the season. It was Auburn’s first 30-point game since Brandy Montgomery scored 30 against Alabama in the 2015 regular-season finale. Frerking was 9-of-14 from the floor, 5-of-9 from 3-point range and was a perfect 7-for-7 at the free-throw line while playing a season-high 37 minutes.
“Just unbelievable,” Williams-Flournoy said of Frerking’s effort. “A great night. And what’s amazing is that she didn’t have a steal. Katie shot the ball early and it wasn’t falling, but shooters have to keep shooting. She did a great job attacking the basket, then going 7-for-7 at the free-throw line.”
Auburn shot 42 percent for the game (24-57) and made a season-high nine 3-pointers, five of them from Frerking. The Tigers were also 19-of-24 at the free-throw line and outrebounded Louisiana Tech 38-27.
Montgomery added 12 points for Auburn, and freshman Tyra Johnson had a season-high eight. Jazmine Jones pulled down eight rebounds.
A sluggish first quarter that saw Auburn score just eight points and shoot 17 percent gave way to a 28-point second period, giving Auburn a 36-27 lead at the break. The Tigers missed their first seven shots of the game but bounced back for a 52-percent second quarter. A Frerking 3-pointer to open the second quarter gave Auburn its first lead, and the Tigers would never trail again.
After a Frerking jumper at the buzzer gave Auburn a 20-point lead after three quarters, the Louisiana Tech opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run. Tech would cut the Auburn lead to as little as 10 points as the Tigers found some late foul trouble and Tech scored 30 points in the fourth. But the Tigers were able to make free throws of their own and hold off the late rally.
Rochelle Vasquez led the Louisiana Tech with 22 points and Kierra Anthony added 14.
The Tigers are back home Sunday afternoon to host No. 24 Virginia Tech at Auburn Arena. Game time is 4 p.m. CST, and the contest is part of a doubleheader with the Auburn men, who face Mercer at noon.
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