Alabama
Auburn
Women’s Basketball Set to Host Auburn on Thursday Night in Coleman Coliseum
1/9/2019 12:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Crimson Tide will take on the Tigers at 7 p.m. CT
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama women's basketball team returns home to take on rival Auburn on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide (9-6, 1-1 SEC) looks to bounce back from a hard-fought road loss to No. 23 South Carolina, while the Tigers (13-2, 1-1 SEC) are coming off their first SEC win after defeating Florida on Sunday.
PROMOTIONS
• Welcome Back Student Event
• Free Food and Raffle Prizes
THE BROADCAST
• Thursday's game will air live on SEC Network + with Eli Gold (play-by-play) and Rick Moody (analyst) on the call, while being joined by sideline reporter Eryn Cooper.
• The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network on 93.3 FM in Tuscaloosa with Roger Hoover on the broadcast.
OPENING TIP
• Alabama takes on rival Auburn for the 88th meeting in the two programs' history on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum.
• The Crimson Tide (9-6, 1-1 SEC) is returning to action after falling in a tightly-knit battle at No. 23 South Carolina on Sunday, 62-59.
• The Tigers (13-2, 1-1 SEC) are coming off a 64-56 road win over Florida on Sunday, while falling to then-No. 10 Tennessee 78-69 in its SEC opener last Thursday.
• Alabama won the last meeting between the rival programs last season on Feb. 18, 2018, 70-60, in Tuscaloosa. The Tide has won the last two of three against the Tigers. However, over the last 10 meetings the Tigers hold a 7-3 record.
ABOUT AUBURN
• The Tigers began the season with its best start since 2008-09 when it was 12-1 heading into SEC play. The team went a perfect 7-0 record in the month of December. AU currently holds a 13-2 record after falling to No. 10 Tennessee and then defeating Florida on the road.
• Auburn is first in the conference and eighth in the country with 12.3 steals per game, while ranking seventh in the nation with a 7.73 turnover margin.
• The Tigers are led by senior guard Janiah McKay who is first on the team in points per game (14.7), assists (4.7) and steals (2.5), along with sophomore Unique Thompson who is putting up 13.3 points and 11.1 rebounds each time out.
• Last season, AU ended with a 14-15 record and 5-11 mark in SEC play.
NEWS AND NOTES
• Junior Cierra Johnson and sophomore Jasmine Walker have been a dynamic duo through the first two games of conference play. The two have combined for 39 points per game, while shooting 54 percent (13-of-24) from behind the three-point line. Johnson (14.2 ppg) and Walker (14.1 ppg) are tops on the team in points scored per contest, while ranking 14th and 15th respectively in the SEC.
• Recently, Johnson moved from shooting guard to starting at the point guard position with the injury to junior Jordan Lewis. In her first two games at the point, Johnson is averaging 19 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
• Walker who averages 14.1 points per game, is tops on the squad in rebounds with 7.5 per contest. Walker also leads the team with three double-doubles this season and has five games in which she has registered double-digit rebounds. Her 7.5 rebounds per contest ranks 12th in the SEC.
• Alabama has impressed the most when it's on its home court, compiling a 7-1 record, while combining for a 2-5 mark in games away from Coleman Coliseum. During its eight home games, the Tide is outscoring its opponents by an average margin of 15.6 points and has a rebounding margin of +9.4.
• The Tide will travel for its third true road contest of the year. So far this season, Alabama is 1-1 on the road after falling to Utah, 72-62 on Nov. 13 and then bouncing back with a 62-61 overtime win against SMU (Nov. 15) in Dallas.
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