In a match that came down to the wire, the Auburn Tigers came out on top of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to make it to 6-0, a feat they haven't accomplished since the 2008-2009 season.
Khady Leye led the Tigers in scoring with fourteen points on the night, and Mya Petticord followed with 12, including 6/6 made free throws. The Tigers collectively went an astounding 12-for-12 on free throws. Intriguingly, the Tigers won this match while only having two total assists on the night.
Auburn began the first quarter from behind, after a three-pointer from Rutgers' Zachara Perkins, but Leye proceeded to capitalize on two free throws to bring it to 2-3. Leye then scored two consecutive goals from the field, bringing the score to 6-3. After shooting 33.3% from the field and going 4/4 at the free throw line, the Tigers were down 12-14 to the Scarlet Knights at the end of the first.
After going scoreless for the first three and a half minutes of the second, Sania Richardson sank the Tigers' first three-pointer of the night, bringing the score to 15-19. A steal and score from Harrissoum Coulibaly helped the Tigers to bring the score to a tie at 21, and a jumper from Leye gave Auburn its first lead since the first quarter with just above a minute left in the half. Headed into the locker room, Auburn was up 23-21 after going 100% on free throws and securing 19 rebounds.
To begin the second half, A'riel Jackson made a jumper, putting the Tigers up 25-21. Petticord proceeded to put down two free throws, maintaining Auburn's perfection at the line. These contributed to a 14-0 run by the Tigers lasting until 1:40 in the third, ended by Rutgers' Amani Lester. Some additional late field goals, as well as free throws from the Scarlet Knights, helped bring them back to life, but Auburn still had all of the momentum headed into the fourth quarter with a score of 39-29.
Petticord opened scoring in the fourth quarter, but a couple of made free throws from Rutgers' Nene Ndiaye balanced it out, making the score 41-31. These contributed to a 6-0 run by the Scarlet Knights, but this streak was ended by a couple of free throws from Petticord, bringing the Tigers back to an eight-point lead, and maintaining a perfect 10/10 on free throws. A three-pointer made by Rutgers' Kaylah Ivey brought the score within five, and she immediately followed it up with a jumper, bringing the match within one score with just under four minutes left on the clock. A jumper from Coulibaly just before the shot clock expired put Auburn up by five, helping them to regain some momentum. After running down the clock, a shot made by Petticord put the Tigers up five with 10.4 seconds remaining, effectively sealing their victory.
The Auburn Tigers' next matchup will take place against the UTSA Roadrunners on November 24, 2025, at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas at 4:00 PM CST.
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Braden is a freshman majoring in Aviation Management. He started with the Plainsman in fall 2025.
