The Auburn Tigers (12-16) will try to halt a five-game losing streak when they host the Mississippi State Bulldogs (19-10) at Neville Arena on Sunday, March 2. Auburn is aiming for a bounce-back performance following a narrow 62-59 loss to Georgia, while Mississippi State also looks to recover after falling 68-64 to Texas in their last outing.
“We fought for three-and-a-half quarters,” Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris said following the loss to Georgia. “We had some late turnovers, DeYona got her fourth foul early in the quarter, and then we had a hard time getting it across (half court). Those turnovers in the fourth quarter killed us.”
Auburn has struggled in recent weeks, but the Tigers will rely on star forward Deyona Gaston to lead the charge. Gaston, who ranks eighth nationally in scoring with 22.1 points per game, delivered a dominant 26-point, six-rebound performance against Georgia. Yuting Deng also contributed 16 points in the defeat.
The Tigers average 68.4 points per game while allowing 64.5, giving them a slim +3.9 scoring margin. Despite their recent slump, Auburn hopes to replicate last season’s senior night victory over Mississippi State, which ended an 11-game losing streak in the series.
Mississippi State has controlled the rivalry over the past decade, winning 11 of the last 12 meetings. The Bulldogs boast an impressive offense, averaging 76.2 points per game (37th in the nation) while allowing 63.2. Their +13.0 scoring margin and +378 overall differential suggest they have been more consistent than Auburn this season.
Jerkaila Jordan leads Mississippi State with 16.0 points per game, ranking 122nd nationally. She put up 14 points and two steals in the loss to Texas, while Madina Okot added 11 points and two blocks.
This game could come down to a battle between Auburn’s Gaston and Mississippi State’s defense. If the Bulldogs can contain Gaston, Auburn will need secondary scoring to step up. Meanwhile, Auburn must find a way to slow down Mississippi State’s balanced attack, particularly Jordan’s perimeter shooting.
With Auburn desperate to end its losing streak and Mississippi State looking to strengthen its postseason resume, expect a hard-fought battle at Neville Arena. The game will take place in Neville Arena on Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m. CST.
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Grace is a Sophomore majoring in Speech Language Hearing Sciences. She joined the Plainsman in the spring of 2024.
