The Tigers fell short in their last home game 73-67 to the Bulldogs. Auburn will go into the SEC tournament next week with a 12-17 record, while Mississippi State will improve to 20-10.
DeYona Gaston was a bright spot in her last home game for the Tigers, scoring 33 points and grabbing eight rebounds. This marks her fifth straight game with 29-plus points this season.
Gaston also grabbed four steals in the contest, bringing a defensive prowess while being incredibly efficient on offense. Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris highlighted Gaston’s performance in the game.
“DeYona always shows up.” Harris said. “She’s just tough, she’s a tough matchup… She works really hard. She has a pro mentality when it comes to her workouts, when it comes to her being ready to play. I think er approach is really good and I think she’ll be able to translate that to the next level.”
Mar’shaun Bostic was another key contributor in the game for the Tigers. She had 13 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and six steals. She put on a defensive clinic in the first half with five steals.
Coach Harris had a lot of praise for her performance.
“I thought Mar’shaun came in and she was focused and ready to go.” Coach Harris said. “I thought she was really good. She was talking getting people where they needed to be, finding mismatches and finding the right reads.”
Auburn played incredible defense to start the game off. They led 17-9 at the end of the first quarter and recorded seven steals, limiting Mississippi State’s offense.
The Tigers would record three more team steals in the second quarter and go up 31-24 at the half. Gaston paved the way offensively with 18 points going into the second half.
A shift in momentum took place, as the Bulldogs would come out firing on all cylinders and score eight points in a minute. Debreasha Powe made two three pointers helping the Bulldogs go on a quick 8-0 run and take the lead.
This gave the Bulldogs a much-needed spark. Auburn could not seem to stop Mississippi State after the quick run and gave up 25 points in the third quarter to its 14. Mississippi State went up 49-45 going into the fourth quarter.
Gaston picked up her fourth foul early in the fourth quarter and had to be subbed. The Bulldogs took advantage of her being in foul trouble and attacked the paint. Chandler Prater’s layup for the Bulldogs made it 66-57 with 2:06 to go.
Mississippi State was able to pull away in the end, hitting crucial free throws to seal the deal.
The Tigers won the turnover battle in the game, but their turnovers led to crucial points that affected the game’s outcome.
“I thought we did a pretty good job at taking care of the ball.” Coach Harris said. “But when we did turn the ball over in the second half, they were able to get out and get some easy looks and had a couple threes off turnovers.”
The Tigers will begin postseason play next Wednesday, March 5. They will play Florida in Greenville, S.C. at 7:30 p.m. CST. The game will be televised on SECN+.
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Tyler Cox is a sophomore from Atlanta majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
