For the first time since 2014, Auburn (15-14) will play in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament against the Tulane Green Wave (18-13). Overall, this will be the Tigers' sixth appearance in the tournament and have a 13-4 record, winning the championship in 2003, their first appearance. Additionally, they made the quarterfinals in 2013.
The Tigers have a 5-2 record against the Green Wave, losing their last game in 2016, 61-59, after coming back from a 14-point deficit. Moreover, the Tigers have won their five games by 10 points or more, with one game going to overtime and are undefeated at home.
For Auburn, forward Aicha Coulibaly and guard Honesty Scott-Grayson will be key players to watch, averaging 16.3 points and 13 points, respectively. Coulibaly leads the team in points per game, free throws and rebounds. Complimenting Coulibaly’s offense, Scott-Grayson is second behind her in scoring and leads Auburn in three-point field goals and in steals. Together, they led Auburn out of its five-game midseason losing streak when they returned from injuries.
Freshman guard Sydney Shaw also could be a key factor for a Tiger win. Against Georgia in the SEC Tournament, Shaw put up 12 points, making her the team’s second-highest scorer for that game. She has proven to be a crucial scorer against tough opponents, having both 15 and 11 points scored against No. 1 South Carolina. She has been a strong asset with ball distribution as well, leading the team in assists.
Tulane averages 66.7 points per game, compared to Auburn’s 66.8, and have held opponents to 60.1 this season. In the American Athletic Conference, the Green Wave advanced to the quarterfinals in their conference tournament, but lost to East Carolina, who went on to win the tournament.
Leading-scorer Dynah Jones averages 12.6 points per game and has reached double-digit scoring in eight of the last 10 games. She had a career-high 25 points against No. 2 LSU, whereas Auburn’s leading scorer could only reach 13.
To help with Tulane’s offense, all the way from Croatia, Marta Galic leads the team in offensive and defensive rebounds, is second in blocks and third in steals on the team. Her career began at Tulane in 2021 where she only averaged 1.5 points per game. Now, she has five double-doubles and 19 games where she's reached double-digit points.
Tulane has three players averaging double figures per game: Jones, Galic and Kyren Whittington. Slowing down the Green Wave trio will be crucial for the Tigers' defense which ranks 24th in the country in blocks and second in the SEC in steals per game.
The game will be held in Neville Arena at 7 p.m. CST and will be available for streaming on SECN+. The winner will play the winner of the Clemson vs High Point game. A date, time and location for a round-two matchup will be announced at a later time.
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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
