After a tough seven-point loss to No. 16 Oklahoma last Sunday, the Auburn Tigers women’s basketball team is set to face off against an even tougher visiting team, the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks on Thursday night.
The Tigers will be looking to upset the Gamecocks for the first time in their last seventeen matchups.
South Carolina has shown signs of weakness this season, however. Similar to the Tigers, the Gamecocks also lost to Oklahoma last week in an overtime thriller. If the Tigers can secure the win, it will be their second ranked victory this season, following their impressive win over rival Alabama two weeks ago.
A key piece to the Tigers securing an upset could come in the form of their historically evident home-court advantage in Neville Arena. This season, the Tigers are currently 9-3 in home-court matchups, compared to just a 4-5 record outside of Auburn.
The Tigers will need to have a defensive showing for the ages to stop the Gamecocks’ dynamic offense. Head coach Larry Vickers and Auburn will be hoping to see junior Kaitlyn Duhon continue her great two-way performances this season.
Duhon has been a great three-and-D threat for the Tigers, averaging an outstanding 3.3 steals per game while shooting forty percent from three-point range.
Sophomore Khady Lee could also be a game-changer for the Tigers; she currently averages more than two steals and blocks combined per game.
South Carolina currently has four different players averaging thirteen or more points per game, but their main offensive playmaker has been Joyce Edwards, whose 20.2 points per game leads her team and ranks third best in the SEC.
Senior center Madina Okot has also been a dominant force for the Gamecocks. Okot is one of only five players in the SEC to average a double-double this season, averaging over 14 points and ten rebounds per game.
Senior Raven Johnson has also been a great playmaker for South Carolina this year. Despite not being one of the Gamecocks’ main scoring threats, Johnson is a key contributor to their offensive scheme, averaging a team-high 5.2 assists per game (6th in the SEC).
The Tigers have done a great job of shutting down opponents’ key scoring options this year, but South Carolina is one of the rare squads where a wide array of players could have a career scoring night.
For a chance at a season-defining upset, defense will need to be their number one priority. This matchup versus the Gamecocks, along with their game against No. 17 Ole Miss next Monday, will close out the Tigers’ toughest stretch of games of the year. If the Tigers can take one of these next two matchups, it could spark momentum heading into one of their lightest stretches of SEC play soon after.
Make sure to catch your Tigers this Thursday night in Neville Arena as they take on the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks at 8:00 p.m. CST.
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Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
