Despite a regular season that did not go as planned, the Auburn Tigers women's basketball team beat the odds Wednesday night, taking down a heavily favored Texas A&M team 50-49 and securing the school’s first tournament win in nearly two years.
The Tigers arguably had their best defensive game of the season at the perfect time, holding their opponent to fewer than 50 points for the first time since their matchup against Jackson State in December.
This game was a great sign of improvement for Auburn, which was taken down by the Aggies in College Station, Texas, just three weeks ago, 81-63.
“It was a total team effort,” Auburn head coach Larry Vickers said. “If anybody’s seen us play this year, we're not a group that wins shootouts, but a rock fight, we win those. I was super proud of them the way they competed, got rebounds, played together as a unit.”
It was the Tigers’ dominance in the paint and on the boards that proved to be the deciding factor in the game. Auburn grabbed 38 total rebounds — 12 more than the Aggies — while holding Texas A&M to just 36% shooting from the field and 29% from 3-point range.
The Tigers also forced 14 turnovers, leading to 13 fast-break points. While Auburn’s defense began to show signs of weakness early in the second half, the 21 points it allowed in the first half provided the offense with enough leeway to secure the upset victory.
Perhaps the most positive takeaway from the game for the Tigers was the fact that they won despite an off night offensively. Despite the strong defensive performance, Auburn's largest lead of the night was only seven points. The Tigers struggled with turnovers all night long, giving the ball away 17 times, resulting in 14 Aggie points. They also shot an inefficient 4-for-18 from 3-point range.
It will be important for Auburn to improve its ball security and outside shooting before its next game as it heads into the second round of the SEC Tournament Thursday night. But if the Tigers can maintain their defensive intensity from this game while improving their offense, they could emerge as a sleeper team in the tournament.
Auburn's dominance in the paint against the Aggies can be largely attributed to a standout performance from forward Khady Leye. The sophomore from Louga, Senegal, was a menace on the glass all night, tallying 15 rebounds while also adding 11 points and four assists on offense.
Kaitlyn Duhon finished as the leading scorer for the victorious Tigers, recording 14 points and blocking three shots on the defensive end.
However, it was junior Ja’Mia Harris’ defensive performance that proved to be a gamechanger in a one-possession contest. Harris gave Texas A&M no breathing room offensively, recording four steals and one block on the night.
Auburn is now set to take on No. 24 Ole Miss in the second round of the tournament Thursday. Their only other matchup against the Rebels a month ago did not end in the Tigers' favor, as they were handily beaten 71-45. However, if Wednesday’s game showed anything, it’s that the Tigers are capable of making the adjustments needed to secure victories as the underdog.
Make sure to catch the Tigers this Thursday at 5 p.m. CST as they hope to continue their trek toward a Cinderella run in the SEC Tournament against the No. 7-seeded Ole Miss Rebels.
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Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
