Auburn women's basketball outclassed in Baton Rouge; fall to 0-5 in SEC play
There was no shortage of energy inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Sunday afternoon. Between the noise of the nearly 10,000 fans in attendance, excitement surrounding alumni weekend and the undefeated home product on the court, Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris' squad had their work cut out for them.
Unfortunately for the orange and blue, the pairing of a hostile environment and the absence of standout guard Aicha Coulibaly proved to be an insurmountable hurdle; Auburn dropped its fifth consecutive game, 84-54.
Auburn opened the contest shooting in a fashion which might not bode well against any team in the SEC, much less the likes of LSU; coach J's squad shot a forgettable 31 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes of the contest, knocking down just one bucket from deep on six attempts and sinking a mere three free throws on four trips to the line.
As for head coach Kim Mulkey's Bayou Bengals, the story could not have been more different. Through the first two periods, LSU posted a staggering 53.3 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and knocked down five of its nine free throws.
Auburn headed to the locker room at the halftime intermission in danger of being doubled-up, trailing 41-22.
To the disappointment of those on the Plains, the Tigers continued their struggle to find offensive success in the second half, with no individual stepping up to lead the charge and a collaborative inability to find the bottom of the bucket.
The lone offensive bright spot for coach J's squad? Outscoring LSU in the third period 20-19. Auburn did not see its first athlete — Precious Johnson (13) — in double figures until the final five minutes of play. She was eventually joined by Kharyssa Richardson (10)
LSU did not encounter the same challenge; standout forward Angel Reese had her way with the Auburn defensive scheme, recording 23 points, 10 rebounds and pair off assists, effectively demanding the attention of the orange and blue.
With its fifth consecutive loss now in the rear view mirror, Auburn must turn its attention towards the struggling Bulldogs of Mississippi State in Starkville on Thursday. Tipoff between the familiar foes is set for 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network plus and the Auburn Radio Network.
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