In Auburn’s final game of the regular season, the Tigers fell to Kentucky 90-62.
Auburn’s team did not lay down without a fight, as both Aicha Coulibaly and Precious Johnson posted double-doubles.
Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard exploded on Sunday however, notching 32 points on over 50% shooting. Howard knocked down eight 3-pointers, good for a Kentucky school record.
“We gave up wide-open 3-pointers," said head coach Johnnie Harris. "We didn't handle it right. We gave up wide-open shots, and (Howard) knocked them down, which we knew she would do. We got out-played, we got out-toughed. We made ill-advised fouls. They just took it to us."
Coulibaly and Johnson finished their games with 18 points and 10 boards each.
Sunday’s double-double was the fifth on the season for Coulibaly and the first of Johnson’s career. Johnson’s scoring and rebounding numbers were also both career highs.
Senior Xaria Wiggins added a career-high nine rebounds on the night.
Shooting was a real struggle for the Tigers against the Wildcats, as Auburn shot just 29% from the field, knocking down only 21 of 72 shots.
Kentucky on the other hand shot 51% from the floor, as it seemed the Cats simply could not miss on their senior night.
Auburn managed to pull down a season-high 27 offensive boards, but turned that into just 20 total points. The Tigers did manage to outrebound the Wildcats 49-35.
The home team turned Auburn over 15 times on the night, converting that into 17 points. Kentucky’s bench also dominated the scoring effort between the two schools, scoring 34 to Auburn’s 10.
Along the way, Kentucky drilled 10 3-pointers which is a season-best by any Auburn opponent.
After just 10 minutes of play, Kentucky found itself up 30-15, after nailing six long balls. Kentucky got the lead all the way up to 47-26 at halftime, as the Wildcats shot 53% from the floor in the game’s opening 20 minutes. At half, Kentucky was 8-12 from deep.
Auburn will be the No. 14 seed in the 2022 SEC Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Nashville. The Tigers will face Alabama in the first round with tip set for 1:30 p.m. CT Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena.
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Henry Zimmer is from Jacksonville, Florida, and is currently in his fifth year with The Plainsman. He is currently the Assistant Sports Editor and can be followed on Twitter here: @henryzimmer
