After back-to-back home conference wins against Florida and rival No. 23 Alabama, the Auburn Tigers women’s basketball team dropped its Thursday night game to the undefeated No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores, 81–53.
This matchup against the Commodores was the first of four straight games versus ranked opponents for the Tigers.
Coach Larry Vickers and Auburn will look to improve on their performance from Thursday as they aim to secure their second top-25 win of the season during their three games next week. Auburn has proven to be a potential postseason underdog with its wins against the Gators and the Tide, but defeating strong opponents like the Commodores in the future would greatly improve its chances.
The first half saw the Tigers continue their solid play and keep pace with the Commodores.
Despite falling behind by eleven in the first quarter due to Vanderbilt’s white-hot offensive start, Auburn had a strong second quarter, holding the Commodores to just ten points—their lowest total in any quarter this season—while scoring 17 of their own. Auburn’s offense sputtered for the remainder of the game, scoring only 24 points in the second half.
Vanderbilt’s offense exploded in the second half, scoring 48 points, including a dominant third quarter in which they put up 27.
However, the Tigers were able to hold SEC-leading scorer Mikayla Blaykes below her season average of 24.8 points, thanks in part to a slow shooting start.
Auburn has been effective at shutting down opponents’ star players this season. Commodore players Sacha Washington and Aubrey Galvan both had impressive nights, recording 15-plus-point double-doubles.
Galvan’s ten assists moved her into fourth place in the SEC in assists per game (6.5). The true freshman also had an excellent defensive performance, recording four steals and a block Thursday night.
Auburn guard Harrisoum Coulibaly continued her strong offensive play, leading the Tigers with 13 points.
This marked Coulibaly’s seventh double-digit scoring performance in her last ten games. Kaitlyn Duhon also continued to prove she is one of the best perimeter defenders in the conference, recording five steals.
Duhon currently ranks third in the SEC in steals per game, averaging more than three per contest. The junior was also second on the team in scoring, finishing with 11 points on an efficient 4-of-7 shooting from the floor.
As the Tigers power through their toughest stretch of the season over the next week, they will look to take on No. 16 Oklahoma this Sunday back in Neville Arena before facing the No. 2 team in the nation, the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Make sure to catch your Tigers this Sunday as they take on No. 18 Oklahoma at 1:00 p.m. CWT in Neville Arena!
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Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
