In the season opener for the women’s Auburn Tigers basketball team, a mixture of youth and experience led the way for the Tigers.
Leading by as many as 17, the Tigers saw their lead disappear and midway through the fourth, they were trailing the Terriers. Thanks in large part to junior Unique Thompson, who had her 21st career double-double, the Tigers responded and won 84-82.
“I started where I left, so we’re gonna keep going,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s size advantage was a big factor all game long as she was dominant in the paint. She was Auburn’s leading scorer with 25 points while adding 11 rebounds.
“Well we knew the game plan, that they only had a 6-foot-1 or whatever she was -- sorry, that was kinda rude,” Thompson said after the game. “We knew that we kinda had an advantage on the inside and that I could post and just score easily and so that’s what we did in practice and I just came out and executed.”
While dealing with multiple injuries, the Tigers also relied on their only returning senior, Daisa Alexander, to switch positions and play point guard. Alexander responded well, putting up 22 points to go along with four rebounds and an assist.
“She did fine, she did just fine,” head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said.
“My teammates kept encouraging me to keep trying to score and get everybody involved,” Alexander said. “My teammates helped me a lot.”
The upperclassmen were joined by sophomore Brooke Moore who had 15 points in the game.
Along with Moore, freshman Annie Hughes played a large role in her first-ever collegiate game.
Hughes logged the fourth-most minutes on the team while scoring 10 points in addition to four assists and two rebounds. Hughes was consistently playing tough, including a 3-point play in the fourth quarter that swung the game back in the Tigers favor.
“Everybody saw it, Annie plays with just so much energy,” Flournoy said. “Annie plays just like she talks. She’s excited, she’s loud but her passion for Auburn is undeniable. You can see it out there on the floor, she’s gonna give us everything she has out there on the floor. She’s gonna take charges, she’s gonna sneak in there and get rebounds, she’s gonna get stops. She’s gonna do whatever she can to help us win a basketball game.”
Williams-Flournoy said Auburn will look to improve on its defense as the season goes along. Wofford was able to score 34 points in the fourth quarter, making the game a close one.
Auburn takes on Old Dominion next on Thursday, Nov. 14 in Auburn Arena.
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