Auburn women’s basketball team defeated the Missouri Tigers 75-60, marking their first SEC victory of the 2024-25 season.
Auburn came out of the gate aggressively, shooting 47.1% from the field and holding Missouri to 33.3%. Head coach Johnnie Harris was happy with how her team came out strong and started the game well.
“I was really pleased with how we started. I felt like we set the tone with the way we want to play.” said Harris. “I thought they set the tone with the defense, and Taylen [Collins] got us going with hitting some big jumpers early in the basketball game. I was really pleased with 24 for 31 from the free throw line. We were pushing pace and attacking and getting fouled in there.”
Despite a solid start for Auburn, Missouri pushed the Tigers defensively with their three-point shooting, shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc. Auburn held strong though and performed well defensively, tallying five blocks, five steals, and 26 defensive rebounds, as well as recording 27 points off of turnovers.
With such a strong offensive presence today, it’s no surprise that the Tigers had four players end the game in double digits: DeYona Gaston, Yuting Deng, Taylen Collins, and Celia Sumbane. Collins in particular was a key presence in setting the tone for the Tigers, while Sumbane recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Collins spoke on Sumbane’s role in tonight’s victory.
“It was great seeing the ball go up and then seing Celia flying through the air and getting it.“ said Collins. “I think that helped us a lot, and she's always such a big impact on his team.”
Another central player to today’s game was Deng, who recorded her first points as an Auburn Tiger in only her second appearance. Deng had 13 points and went 3-7 from the field, bringing an energy and aggression to the floor that helped Auburn keep momentum moving in the third quarter.
“[Deng] went in there, and I felt like she went all out, but she was really comfortable.” said Harris. “She was put in a position to where she could do what she does best. And again, our team did a really good job of talking to her, communicating and making sure she was in the right spots.”
While this win was very needed for an Auburn team that hadn’t won a conference game this season, the Tigers are still on the prowl for victory in upcoming games.
“ I'm hoping it's going to be one of hunger. We talked about before we came out here that both of these teams need to win this game, and are you hungry or do you just want to eat?” said Harris. “Our team has to be hungry. We have to be hungry every time we step on the court, and that starts in practice. So hopefully that is the mindset, and I think that has been the mindset of this team as of late.”
The Tigers will be back in action against Mississippi State on the road on Thursday, Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. CST. The game will be available to watch on SECN+.
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Jackie is a freshman majoring in Drug and Biopharmaceutical Sciences. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2024.
You can follow her on X (Twitter) at @jackie_domingun
