With Auburn now in the middle third of SEC play, Johnnie Harris’ Tigers (13-6, 2-4 SEC) are beaming with confidence as Katie Abrahamson-Henderson’s Georgia Bulldogs (10-9, 1-5 SEC) arrive on the Plains for the 56th meeting between the two programs.
The Lady Bulldogs lead this historic matchup 35-20, with the Tigers losing two consecutive games to Georgia during the 2022-23 season. The most recent was at the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, on March 2, 2023, where Georgia’s dominant second half solidified its 63-47 victory over Auburn.
However, the Lady Bulldogs have had a rough stretch this season, losing five consecutive games and sitting at 1-5 in the conference. After its recent 69-59 loss to Ole Miss, Georgia had a week off to prepare for The Jungle.
It’s been a different story for the Tigers. In the past few games, Auburn has been a different team on the court – with big wins over No. 7 LSU and in-state rival Alabama.
Looking for redemption, Auburn’s defense will play a pivotal role if the Tigers want to secure their third SEC win.
The Tigers’ defense has held their last six opponents to an average of 12.8 points less than their season scoring average. The biggest example of this was Auburn’s defense keeping the nation’s top-scoring offense, LSU, to 62 points – its lowest total of the season.
Similar to how Auburn runs its offense, Georgia heavily relies on scoring inside the three-point line. The Bulldogs shoot 41% from the field and also deal damage at the free-throw line, averaging 25 made field goals and 12 free throws per game. The Bulldogs are weakest from three-point range – averaging only 3.3 made 3-pointers per game – so it’ll be crucial for the Tigers’ defense to force the Dawgs’ offense to shoot from beyond the arc.
Another key to Auburn’s victory over its oldest rival will stem down to how it shoots from the field. Every time the Tigers shoot above 40% on field goals, they have come out with the win. This is true for the Tigers' matchups against the Bayou Bengals (44%) and the Crimson Tide (47%).
It’ll be important for the rest of the Tigers’ offense to assist their leading scorer, Honesty Scott-Grayson. Scott-Grayson has been a force to be reckoned with, averaging 15.9 points per game while shooting 40% on field goals and 78% on free throws. The veteran also has 43 assists and 23 steals.
Like Scott-Grayson, Georgia’s Javyn Nicholson fronts the Lady Bulldogs' offense with 15.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Alongside 15 assists, Nicholson has shot 45% from the field and 70% at the free-throw line.
The Auburn Family has seen the Tigers’ confidence grow as the season progresses, especially in their eight newest additions. Harris emphasized that the confidence fans have seen is all thanks to their experience in SEC play.
“They’re learning,” Harris said. “I keep saying this, you know, we have eight players on the floor that haven’t played in the SEC. They haven’t played at this level, so they don’t have an understanding of how to prepare, how to overcome when you make a mistake, how to get back in and not get your head down. There’s a lot of good players in the SEC, so you know, other teams are gonna score, you’re gonna get scored on.”
The Tigers will host the Lady Bulldogs at Neville Arena on Monday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m. CST. Fans can tune in to the SEC Network to watch this matchup.
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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
