The Auburn Lady Tigers improved to 3–0 on the season after taking down the UNC Greensboro Spartans 64–57 on Monday, Nov. 10 inside Neville Arena. It wasn’t always easy, but the Tigers found a way to close things out late and stay perfect on the year.
Auburn started the game strong and set the tone early. The Lady Tigers came out firing in the first quarter, jumping out to a 14–3 lead with just under two minutes left. Auburn was hitting shots, moving the ball well, and locking down the Spartans on defense. UNCG finally got some momentum at the end of the quarter, but Auburn still led 19–8 after the first.
The second quarter brought more offense from both sides, but the Tigers kept their rhythm from deep. Auburn was lights out from three-point range in the first half, going 9-for-14. A’riel Jackson led the way, hitting three of her four attempts from behind the arc. Mya Petticord, JaMya Harris, and Sania Dihon also chipped in with a few big shots each. The Tigers held a steady lead and went into halftime up 34–23.
The third quarter looked a lot like the first half, with both teams scoring efficiently and showing off some offensive firepower. Khady Leye stood out in the quarter, scoring seven points and giving Auburn some key buckets to keep the energy up. The Tigers stayed in control and went into the fourth quarter still up 53–37.
However, the Spartans weren’t ready to go away just yet. The fourth quarter got tense fast. UNC Greensboro went on a 16–2 run to start the period, cutting Auburn’s lead all the way down to just two points with about 3:45 left in the game. The crowd in Neville got quiet as the Spartans suddenly had all the momentum.
Then, Harrisoum Coulibaly came up clutch, hitting a mid-range jumper to stop the run and get Auburn back on track. From there, both teams traded baskets, but Auburn did just enough to hang on. The Spartans had a few late chances to tie it up, but the Tigers’ defense stood tall when it mattered most. When the final buzzer sounded, Auburn walked away with a hard-fought 64–57 win.
Mya Petticord led Auburn in scoring with 14 points, while Khady Leye and Ja’Mia Harris finished close behind with 11 each. For UNC-Greensboro, Makiah Asidanya paced the Spartans with 22 points, followed by Rylan Moffitt with 13.
The Lady Tigers will stay at home for their next matchup. Auburn will host Mississippi Valley State on Thursday, Nov. 13, with tip-off set for 11:00 a.m. CDT at Neville Arena.
