After an ugly performance at Missouri on Thursday, the Auburn women's basketball Tigers were able to bounce back against rival Alabama. A strong fourth quarter helped the Tigers come back to get the 66-55 win in Tuscaloosa, snapping a two game losing streak.
The Tigers were led by the duo of Janiah McKay and Katie Frerking, who were able to combine for 46 points on the night. Frerking’s 16 second half points, 12 of which came in the fourth quarter were a big lift for Auburn, who have had some struggles offensively over the past couple of games. Frerking ended the night with 20 points on 7-11 shooting, while McKay led all scorers with 26 points.
The Tigers were also brilliant defensively. When asked what the difference was between tonight’s game and the past two losses, Katie Frerking credited the intensity Auburn showed.
“I think we had kind of gotten a little away from what we do,” said Frerking. “We let, for a couple games, our offense dictate our defense and that is not who we are. We got back to playing defense and getting stops, getting steals, and we did a good job converting on the offensive end.”
The Tiger defense was suffocating, forcing 22 turnovers, with eight in the fourth quarter to give Auburn the comeback victory. This was a nice turnaround for the Tigers, who struggled in all areas of the game this past Thursday at Missouri
Alabama Junior Hannah Cook helped the Tide break the press and get ahead early by knocking down a trio of 3 pointers in the first quarter. Alabama was holding on to a 3 point lead heading into the fourth quarter before Frerking was able to take over and help Auburn outscore the Tide by 14 in the 4th.
This win was Auburn’s fourth straight victory over their in-state rivals, and their fifth win in SEC play this year. The win brings Auburn to 15-7 overall with a conference record of 5-3. The loss drops Alabama to 15-7 overall with a conference record of 3-6.
Auburn returns home for a matchup against No. 4 Mississippi State Thursday at 8:00 p.m. CST. The game will played at Auburn Arena, and can be seen on the SEC Network.
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