On Monday, the Auburn Tigers secured a dominant 77-49 win over the West Georgia Wolves with help from its new additions.
“I thought that the team played pretty hard,” said head coach Johnnie Harris. “You know, we made some mistakes, but I thought our chemistry was good. I thought we played hard…I tried playing everybody in the first half and then everybody in the second half – just looking at different rotations and everything. At a certain point, it was about getting different rotations in there and seeing different combinations.”
With the start of basketball season officially back on the Plains, Auburn's players couldn't contain their excitement to finally be back on the court after a WNIT exit and a long offseason.
“We all (have) been waiting for this moment,” said graduate Honesty Scott-Grayson. “We’ve been practicing since August, June, trying to get ready for France and all of that stuff, so just playing against each other (was) kind of getting (tiring). So, being able to go out there and play against somebody different, we were all excited, and we knew that we had to get after it. And that’s what we did.”
After ending the 2022-23 season 16-15 (5-11 SEC), the Tigers added new faces to the roster while keeping some familiar faces. Oklahoma State transfer Taylen Collins and South Plains Community College transfer Celia Sumbane showcased their abilities on the court.
“For me, I was just trying to not put too much pressure on myself with being out,” Collins said. “But, you know, I’m proud of the way I came out and played. I just tried to do the little things (and) not do too much.”
Having a solid night in the paint, Collins secured 15 points, six field goals (55 FG%), two offensive rebounds and two steals. Sumbane had 14 points and went 7-for-7 in the paint (100 FG%). While showcasing her offensive capabilities, Sumbane showed she is also strong on the defensive front, with two defensive rebounds and four steals.
“Like Coach (Harris) said, (Sumbane) is so long and athletic, and she uses her abilities very well,” Collins said. “So her going out and getting all those deflections and being able to finish them on the offensive end, it’s nothing new to us. That’s just what she does.”
Sydney Shaw and Mar’shaun Bostic are familiar faces in Neville Arena, who gave a little taste of their offensive abilities. The sophomore Shaw was 4-for-11 from the field and 2-for-6 from the three-point line. Bostic showed her ability to shoot, going 4-6 from the field, and ability to pass with five assists – which led the team.
“I feel like the difference between last year’s and this year’s team is that we’re all bought in, and we all know what the ultimate goal is: to make the NCAA tournament,” Scott-Grayson said. “So, I feel like everybody knows what they need to do, and I feel like our team’s chemistry…is only gonna get better as the season goes along.”
Auburn wraps up its exhibition games on Thursday, Nov. 2, before starting nonconference play. The Tigers will host the Columbus State Cougars at 7 p.m. CST in Neville Arena.
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Caitlyn Griffin is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @caitlyngrif99
