The Auburn Tigers (3-2) head to St. Thomas in the U.S Virgin Islands to play in the Paradise Jam tournament against Northern Iowa (3-1), Pittsburgh (5-1) and Kansas (4-1) starting on Thursday, Nov. 28.
Starting the season off with a winning record, the Tigers will be looking to capitalize on their success throughout the tournament.
Leading the Tigers in points so far this season is the Texas transfer, forward DeYona Gaston. In five games, Gaston has racked up a total of 101 points for the Tigers, proving to be an offensive threat for opponents.
Auburn guard Taliah Scott is Auburn’s second leading-scorer (61) thus far and will be looking to continue to be explosive with Gaston this tournament and the rest of the season.
Not only does Gaston lead the team in scored points but also contributes defensively. Currently, Gaston leads in steals (9) and defensive rebounds (19), causing opponents to struggle.
As a team, the Tigers lead their opponents in multiple categories starting with: points (402), points per game (80.4), rebounds (190), assists (79) while even having less turnovers (76).
The Tigers will be tested in their first matchup against the Northern Iowa Panthers. This season, the Panthers also have a winning streak and will prove to be a competitive matchup for Auburn Coach Johnnie Harris and the Tigers.
Offensively, Northern Iowa guard Maya McDermott is a game-changer for the Panthers this season, scoring 104 points in total along with a .535 FG%.
Starting her senior year, McDermott has already been named pre-season all MVC first team, MVC player of the week, USBWA National Player of the Week and AP Women’s Basketball Player of the Week Runner-Up.
Defensively, forward Ryley Goebel leads the Panthers consistently in rebounds, having a total of 21 against opponents this season. Altogether, the Panthers have recorded 146 rebounds with 36.5 per game.
On November 29, the Tigers will face another set of Panthers – the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Starting strong at 5-1, the Panthers have won their last three games and seem to only be getting started.
Accumulating 401 points so far, it’s clear the Panthers have been dominant offensively. That starts with center Khadija Faye, proving to be an asset with 105 points for the Panthers.
Faye also leads the team in rebounds both offensively (38) and defensively (30), totaling 68.
On the defense, the Panthers dominate in blocks through having 33 compared to their opponents managing just 11. Per game, the Panthers also outblock their opponents, averaging 5.5 compared to 1.8.
The last team the Tigers will face is the Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks this season have started out strong with a 4-1 record, showing no easy match for the Tigers.
Having just lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Jayhawks will be looking to bounce back within this tournament while finding a way to win.
As of now, the Jayhawks are averaging 67.2 points per game with 336 points. Currently holding their opponents to 57.0 points per game with just 285 points. However, in turnovers, the Jayhawks trail their opponents who’ve committed less turnovers (74) to Jayhawks’ 80.
Guard S’Mya Nichols leads the offense through scoring 98 points so far this season while looking for more. Behind her is guard Elle Evans, scoring 60 points for the Jayhawks. Both Nichols and Evans will be looking to be playmakers.
Defensively, the Jayhawks are averaging 35.5 rebounds per game with 14 total blocks.
Matches start on Thursday, Nov. 28 and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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Ginny is a junior majoring in sports production. She joined the Plainsman in the fall of 2024.
