Auburn is still perfect on the season after a 76-56 win over Rutgers Sunday afternoon on the road.
The first quarter was difficult for the Tigers (3-0) because they were losing to Rutgers (2-1) by 13 points at one point. However, The Tigers came back and took the lead in the second quarter, going on a 34-5 run to end the first half.
This game took place in Honesty Scott-Grayson's hometown in New Jersey, performing in front of 50 friends and her family. Scott-Grayson scored 18 points with three rebounds, a team leading four assists and one steal. The team hyped up Scott-Grayson as she performed in front of family and friends.
“This team loves Honesty,” said Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris. “They support her, they have her back. They knew she was coming to her hometown. You should have heard them over on the bench, they were loud, they were proud. They were proud of this entire team. Our bench energy was great tonight.”
Savannah Scott, who is a freshman, has had a great start to her Auburn career and continued to be a big player for the Tigers as she recorded a double-double, scoring 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting along with 11 rebounds. This would be her first double-double of the season.
Mar’Shaun Bostic had nine points along with three assists and had a pair of steals. Sydney Shaw also added 10 points to the scoreboard. Celia Sumbane had three steals, a pair of blocks and assists, while adding five points on the scoreboard.
“For the second game in a row, I put the ball in Honesty’s hands, and she found Scotty,” Harris said. “Scotty was a beast today, that baby grew up today. Honesty put us on her back and she carried us. I thought Celia at the top of that zone was a big key for us, she controlled things for us up there.”
Auburn scored the first seven points of the second half, but Rutgers attempted to stop the Tigers lead from growing and cut the deficit to as few as nine. However, Taylen Collins and the rest of the Auburn team settled in and helped Auburn improve its lead to 12 points after three periods. The Tigers shot 46.6% percent from the field and made 20-of-31 attempts at the free-throw line.
“This team is so connected, they have great chemistry,” Harris said. “They’re going to continue to get better and better. They trust us. We’re able to make adjustments, they buy into it, and they put it into play.”
Auburn also turned 24 Rutgers turnovers into 29 points and dominated in the paint – outscoring the Scarlet Knights 46-20 inside.
The next Auburn game will be at Neville Arena on Friday, Nov. 17 against the California Golden Bears. The game will be televised on SEC Network+ as the Tigers look to improve to 4-0.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Jakai Spikes, senior in Journalism, is a writer at The Auburn Plainsman.
