Auburn Women's Basketball defeated the Southern Illinois Salukis 65-31 fresh off of their 80-point victory over LaGrange. Although the game started off rough for both teams, the Tigers bounced back in the second quarter and continued their dominance throughout.
The Tigers and Salukis had a rough first period, with the final score of the first quarter being eight to seven Auburn's way, and the Tigers needed to get things going. Although SIU didn't muster any momentum, scoring only eight points in the second quarter, the Tigers exploded to 19 points that quarter, led by Celia Sumbane. The Tigers would end the half with a score of 27-15 and from then on, the entertainment would skyrocket.
Momentum never left the Tiger squad, but in the third quarter, it was Auburn forwards DeYona Gaston and Audia Young who stepped up and built the momentum even stronger for the orange and blue. The two combined for 14 of Auburn's 19 points and five of Auburn's 13 rebounds in that quarter alone. The energy from the duo during their dynamic third-quarter stretch spread to the bench and the crowd as well, showcasing why Neville Arena is one of the best home court advantages in college basketball.
With the Tigers coming into the 4th quarter with a commanding 46-25 lead, the job was all but finished for the night. Junior guard Kaitlyn Duhon put the nail in the coffin for this game, as she had 10 of the 19 total points that quarter, knocked down a three and got an and-one as well.
Despite early woes, the Tigers looked like a complete team out there, and showed that anyone in the orange and blue uniform can carry the momentum at any point of the game. The Tigers shot 40% overall, which was double SIU's percentage; they also almost doubled SIU's 27% from three by shooting an even 50% and outscored the Salukies 23-11 in points off turnovers. The Tigers doubled SIU's totals in blocks, steals, bench points and points in the paint. They even trippled SIU stats in assists as well.
With another tally in the win column, the Tigers look to continue to build team chemistry with their next game on Friday, November 8th, when they take on the Virginia-Lynchburg Dragons. That game will air at 6 p.m. CST on SECNetwork and ESPN+.
