After about three weeks and more than 9,800 miles of traveling, Auburn women’s basketball returns home this Sunday to face the UAB Blazers.
DeYona Gaston scored a game-high 23 points on Thursday, leading the Tigers to a 66-57 victory on the road against Virginia. This was Auburn’s first road win of the season, giving them the momentum they needed against a hungry UAB team.
The Blazers are coming off a dominating win against Southern Miss, shooting 56 percent for the game. Four players for the Blazers had double figures, further proving UAB’s go-getter mindset.
The Blazers are 5-2 on the season but lost to the Tigers in their last matchup on Dec. 3, 2023.
Players to watch:
Auburn: DeYona Gaston
Forward DeYona Gaston averages 19.9 points per game and 8.8 rebounds, shooting 51.1 percent. Her ability to leap over defenders and score adds to her impressive report.
Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris admired her ability to step up and be a leader, specifically in the matchup against Virginia, given a short-handed team.
“DeYona, she’s just a different player,” Harris said. “She has tremendous leaping ability, and she’s able to jump over them and score. We could talk about her scoring and her rebounding, but she got five steals, too. She was in good position a lot, guarding out on the perimeter.”
Gaston excels on both ends of the court, serving as a main threat for this Auburn team.
Auburn: Taylen Collins
Taylen Collins had her best night of the year against the Cavaliers, scoring a career-high of14 points and leading the team with seven rebounds and a pair of blocks.
Collins never fails to put in effort on both sides of the court, but her ability to rebound makes her a defensive threat and offensive asset.
UAB: Maddie Walsh
Senior guard Maddie Walsh was one of the four players with double figures in UAB’s matchup against Southern Miss on Sunday.
Walsh averages 13 points per game and excels from behind the arc, notably leading the Blazers on the road against Alabama A&M with 22 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Walsh will be a threat on offense, and her leadership will show through her ball control and assists.
UAB: Jade Weathersby
Forward Jade Weathersby averages 10.4 rebounds on the season and 11.6 points per game.
Weathersby’s height contributes to her ability to rebound, making her an offensive and defensive threat.
Auburn’s key to success in this matchup will be consistency and offensive boards. Because the Tigers are shorthanded, every player will have to execute on both sides of the court.
This will be the second game of a doubleheader in Neville Arena starting with Auburn men’s basketball at 11 a.m. CST and women’s at 2 p.m. CST.
Coach Harris had high expectations for her team on Thursday against Virginia, and that continues heading into Sunday’s matchup.
“We wanted to come out and be aggressive and set the tone, play Auburn women’s basketball,” Harris said.
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Morgan is a junior majoring in journalism. She joined the Plainsman in the fall of 2024.
