With an 0-3 record in conference play, Auburn faced the seventh-ranked LSU Tigers on Sunday. After what was a back-and-forth contest the entire game, Auburn pulled off the upset win 67-62.
Auburn hosted the LSU Tigers in front of the largest crowd in Auburn women's basketball history in Neville Arena as 7,720 people gathered in Auburn to witness these two Tigers face off, with a good showing from both fanbases.
Head coach Johnnie Harris showed immense gratitude to both her players and the fans after the game.
"I'm proud of our team, proud of them to be able to play in front of a crowd like this and I'm proud that this crowd could see them play," Harris said.
Auburn was able to hold a steady pace with LSU the entire game, but it was not until the final moments that Auburn began to pull away. With a two-point lead, Auburn's Taylen Collins and JaMaya Mingo-Young defended LSU star Angel Reese with seconds left in the fourth quarter. As Reese drove to the basket, Mingo-Young stole the ball and drew a foul to extend the lead, which effectively put Auburn on top.
Mingo-Young and Harris both spoke on this game-ending play after the game.
“I knew I had a clean shot at the ball so I just went for it,” MIngo-Young said.
Harris followed by explaining the preparation behind a play like that.
"We guarded that play all week, we knew she was going to drive it…They were prepared for that," Harris said.
Aside from the final seconds of the game, Auburn's defense was on point all night. They home Tigers' defense forced 15 turnovers, 10 steals and held LSU's offense to a season-low in points. Celia Sumbane led the team with four of the 10 steals. Auburn also did a good job forcing fouls, which helped the Tigers tremendously in the long run.
Honesty Scott-Grayson and Mingo-Young were the two key factors in this game against LSU. Scott-Grayson was able to score at crucial times with the help of those defending, boosting Auburn’s momentum. Overall, she scored 21 points. Mingo-Young was not far behind Scott-Grayson with 13 points, five assists, and two steals.
Auburn guard Honesty Scott-Grayson (23) celebrates near the end of Auburn's game against LSU on Jan. 14, 2024 in Neville Arena.
As the game began to pick up, so did the crowd’s energy. Harris called the crowd “a missing piece” and encouraged them to show up more.
“You could tell that these people were behind us. This was our family weekend, and this shows what family is all about,” Harris said.
This was LSU’s first loss since its season opener against Colorado. Reese led the team offensively with 24 points, but it was not enough to overcome Auburn’s scoring lineup. Auburn also completely shut down LSU’s Hailey Van Lith, who went 1-for-9 the entire game and finished with nine points.
Next up, the Tigers will be traveling to Vanderbilt on Jan. 18 to take on the Commodores. The Tigers will hope to bring home their second SEC Conference win. This game will be played at 6:30 pm CST and will be televised on SEC Network+.
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Madelyn Marsh is a freshman from Castroville, Texas, who is majoring in journalism. She joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
