Auburn women's basketball faces first road test Saturday
ByFresh off a win over Gardner-Webb on Tuesday night, Auburn women's basketball hits the road for the first time this season on Saturday looking to take down Houston and move to 4-0.
Fresh off a win over Gardner-Webb on Tuesday night, Auburn women's basketball hits the road for the first time this season on Saturday looking to take down Houston and move to 4-0.
Ahead of Auburn's home opener, Bruce Pearl anticipates another tough matchup with South Alabama. “This is a team and a program that does have confidence,” Pearl said.
“This senior class is a bunch of special people first of all,” Malzahn said. “They’ve been around here for a long time, and they’re part of our family. It means a lot to try and send those guys out with a victory."
Unique Thompson is continuing to add accolades to her resume this season. The senior forward was named to the Wooden Award preseason watch list on Tuesday.
As the weather outside gets colder, the Auburn offense is heating up inside Auburn Arena. The Tigers continued their unbeaten season on Tuesday night with a season-high in points, defeating Gardner-Webb 97-61.
Heading into Saturday's game against Texas A&M, Auburn could be without some of its key contributors because of injuries. Three players are questionable and one was ruled out for Saturday's game.
Auburn has dropped out of the AP Top 25 poll for the second time this season after it suffered a 42-13 loss to No. 1 Alabama.
Auburn women’s basketball outlasted a late scoring surge by Samford and held on for a 66-64 win over the Bulldogs Saturday inside Auburn Arena.
Auburn may have won the coin toss, but it was one of the few victories for the Tigers in an otherwise one-sided Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide rolled over Auburn 42-13 in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.
“You gotta be big boys,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said. “You’ve got to take it like a man. We’ve got two games left. This is an unusual season obviously. We’ll need to rebound like we did earlier in the season. It’s a grind, but that’s just part of it."
“The first thing that comes to mind for me is that I’ve got to play big as a player and as a teammate,” Sherwood said. “Everybody just has to be physical. It’s going to be a physical game from both sides. The only way someone can win is by being physical. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind.
“Probably, you play as hard as you’ve played in a game in your entire life, just because of how much it means,” Nix said. “There are a lot of kids going to school on Monday who are going to have to put up with a lot of crap whichever way it goes.”
In the teams second game of the season, Auburn fell to No. 1 Gonzaga 90-67. "We were obviously disappointed we didn't play better," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Gonzaga had a lot to do with that."
The youthful Tigers team was tested in the season opener but ultimately defeated Saint Joseph's 96-91 in overtime behind some big plays from Jaylin Williams and Justin Powell.
In rebuilding a basketball program, some moments are significant for a coach who seeks to build a consistent program. The 2020 recruiting cycle could be one of the more important in Auburn basketball history.
In the Tigers' season opener, Auburn took down USC Upstate 82-41. After the game, head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said it was a "joy to coach" her players in the win.
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement released by team physician Dr. Jimmy Robinson and Associate Director of Sports Medicine Jeff Allen. It is reported that he has mild symptoms and will not coach in the Iron Bowl this weekend.
“Well, I mean, I think that's one of the reasons you come to Auburn is to play in the Iron Bowl,” Malzahn said. “And, you know, our guys, they get extremely excited about this game. This is a game that we think about 365 days a year.”
"His initial eligibility review is ongoing," Pearl said. "We're hopeful for a resolution as soon as possible. There's not much more I can comment on."
