Following an upset victory over No. 4 Tennessee, Auburn will travel to Nashville on Sunday to take on Vanderbilt. Both squads are coming off much-needed conference victories and will likely view this matchup as an opportunity to build momentum.
Prior to its victory over Kentucky last week, the Commodores were on a five-game losing streak. The string of games features matchups against ranked teams such as LSU, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
The Tigers and the Commodores find themselves in similar situations, both sitting near the bottom of the conference rankings. Both teams have struggled to generate offense, each ranking at the bottom of the SEC for field goal percentage and points per game. The only sizable offensive difference is Vanderbilt’s 3-point percentage, which is 32.9% from the field compared to the Tiger’s 27.3%.
Defense will be the determining factor for the victor in this matchup. In its last matchup, Auburn cashed in 28 points off of 22 Tennessee turnovers, while limiting itself to nine. The Tigers also collected 12 steals and got 11 points off of fast breaks. Aicha Coulibaly will be a player to look out for in this phase of the game, as she averages 2.2 steals per game, ranking fourth in the SEC in the category.
Vanderbilt has shown defensive capability as well, the Commodores average around 10 steals per game, leading the conference. Guard Jordyn Cambridge has proven to be one of the nation's best pickpockets, her 4.1 steals per game ranks first in the conference and third nationally. The team collectively forces opponents to 19.7 turnovers per game.
In a match that will primarily feature defense, an offensive bright spot for the Tigers is Coulibaly, whose average of 18.1 points per game ranks 4th in the conference. Brinae Alexander leads Vanderbilt in scoring with 15.1 points per game, she scored a career-high 26 in the Commodores' last matchup against Kentucky.
Auburn is 2-0 against schools from Tennessee and a win this week would continue to carry the Tiger’s momentum. The key factor will be forcing and limiting turnovers.
The game between Auburn and Vanderbilt will tip-off Sunday at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network-plus.
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