Coming off two conference wins, Auburn women’s basketball hosts the top-ranked team in the country Thursday, South Carolina who is 19-0 and 7-0 in SEC play. The Tigers will then travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks who are 16-6 and 4-3 in conference play.
Streaky South Carolina is coming into this game with an undefeated conference record, including a win against No. 9 LSU. The Gamecocks currently have the top offense in the SEC, scoring 88.4 points per game against SEC opponents. However, Auburn has the highest-rated defense in the SEC, only allowing 66.1 points per game in conference play. The Gamecocks offense works in tandem, having just six games with a 20-point scorer, and four different Gamecocks have had 20-point games.
The last time Auburn has beat South Carolina was in January 2012, so Auburn is seeking to end this drought. In order to do so, Auburn will have to stop Kamilla Cardoso, who ranks top 20 in the nation for blocks, field goal percentage and double-doubles. Containing Cardoso is crucial, but Auburn will also have to slow down Bree Hall, who is shooting 70% from three in true road games, and Te-Hina Paopao, who is the nation’s best three-point shooter at 50.5%.
Another key to the game will come from securing rebounds, where the Gamecocks lead the nation in rebounding margin at +13.8, with a +7.4 margin in SEC play. They also average 16.5 second chance points off their 13.6 offensive rebounds per game, so defending the paint is significant to an Auburn victory.
After Thursday’s game, the Tigers will travel to Fayetteville seeking their first road win in conference play against the Razorbacks. Like Auburn, Arkansas is coming off two wins against conference opponents in Missouri and Kentucky.
The Razorbacks feature four players averaging above 10 points per game, including Taliah Scoot averaging 22.3, Makayla Daniels averaging 11.5, Samara Spencer averaging 14 and Saylor Poffenbarger averaging 10.8. Poffenbarger also averages a double-double with 10.7 rebounds per game. Like South Carolina, this offense is operated through everyone, so Auburn will need to play as a team well to slow it down. Though Auburn needs to play as a team, look for Honesty Scott-Grayson to step up and have a great game offensively.
Arkansas leads the SEC in 3-pointers per game at 9.41, which is also sixth in the entire nation. Guarding beyond the arc will be crucial to a winning recipe for the Tigers. The Razorbacks also lead the conference in turnovers committed at 12.8 per game, so forcing Arkansas to make mistakes is necessary.
The Tigers have fallen to the Razorbacks in their last six matchups, last time winning in Feburary 2019. Their overall record against the Razorbacks is tied at 21-21.
Auburn will continue conference play, hosting South Carolina on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The Tigers will then travel to Fayetteville on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
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Tyler Cox is a sophomore from Atlanta majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
