Auburn travels to Knoxville to face off against the Tennessee Lady Volunteers (19-9) after a huge program win against Texas A&M.
With a win, the Tigers could secure a winning record in the regular season, the first time since 2018, and it would be their fifth SEC win. Additionally, an Auburn win would create a two-game winning streak, the first one against Tennessee since 2009 and would be the Tigers’ first win at Thompson-Boling Arena since the 1990 Final Four. However, the Volunteers lead against Auburn 47-12 overall, and 23-2 in Knoxville, having its only wins in 1986 and 1988.
In their last meeting in 2022, the Tigers upset No. 4 Tennessee 71-61, which was their first SEC win of the season and gave the Volunteers their first SEC loss. In that game, guard Aicha Coulibaly dropped 26 points and reached a season high of 10 field goals made, along with two 3-point field goals made.
Coulibaly’s previous success and knowledge against Tennessee will be crucial in this morning game. She also has begun a hot streak of reach double figures in points, having 13 against Alabama and 18 against the Aggies. Moreover, she had 10 rebounds against the Crimson Tide, giving her a double-double, and was one rebound shy of having another one against Texas A&M.
Senior guard Sania Wells will also be a key player to watch; she was consistent at the free-throw line, going 10-for-10 in the fourth quarter and overall had 13 points. Wells also showed previous success against the Volunteers, dropping 13 points on them in 2022.
She has stepped up in SEC play, averaging 6.8 points per game, compared to her 5.5 points before SEC play and with her recent success at the free-throw line, averaging 1.000% and .917% in her free-throw percentage for the past two games. She will a key player in this match-up.
For Tennessee, a win would get the team to a 20-9 overall record and an 12-3 conference record. Nationally, the Volunteers rank second nationally for strength of non-conference schedule, and with only six non-conference losses, it shows the skill of the Lady Volunteers. They average 77.4 points per game, compared to Auburn’s 67.1, and rank ninth in the country for rebounds with 43.9 per game.
Senior forward Rickea Jackson has been a vital part of the Tennessee offense, averaging 18.5 points per game, ranking her at third in the SEC for scoring. She also had a season high 12 rebounds in last week’s game against Arkansas, giving her a double-double for the game with 25 points. For the past three games, Jackson has had 20+ points, and for two of the three games, she had double-doubles.
Regarding the defense, senior guard Jordan Horston leads the team in every category with a total of 25 blocks, 178 rebounds (126 defensive), and 39 steals. Like Jackson, she also had a double-double against Arkansas with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The game will be at Knoxville in Thompson-Boling Arena at 11 a.m. CST and will be available for streaming on ESPN2.
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Amanda Davidson is a sophomore at Auburn, majoring in journalism and minoring in marketing and studio arts. From LaGrange, Ga., she started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @Manny1Davidson
