The No. 6 Tigers used an 18-3 run early in the second half to take control, gave it all away until the game was tied at 59 with six minutes left and pulled away (slowly) at the end.
DeWanna Bonner led the way with 23 points. Whitney Boddie overcame a rough first half to nearly register a triple-double, finishing with eight points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. She scored six points in the final four minutes when Auburn put the game away.
Still, the Tigers didn't look good. The committed 12 turnovers in the first half and shot 39 percent. They made just four 3-pointers in the game, all by Alli Smalley. And they didn't put the game away after getting up by 12 in the second half.
In its last three games, Auburn has 1) lost to Georgia, 2) trailed by five at halftime against LSU before turning it on in the second half and 3) struggled to put away a mediocre Ole Miss squad.
“A season is a marathon,”
Fortner had a long talk with her team afterward. Not too many positives were discussed.
“There wasn’t too much positive to say,” Bonner said. “It wasn’t a great performance.”
Some other thoughts ...
- Freshman Chantel Hilliard and sophomore Reneisha Hobbs came off the bench and combined to score 11 points in 31 minutes. That's huge for a team that normally only goes six deep. The Tigers are going to need those minutes in the postseason.
- KeKe Carrier was a no-show. She played four minutes and wasn't very effective, missing three shots, all from close range, and committing a turnover. She did have three rebounds and two blocks, though.
- Great game for Ole Miss' Bianca Thomas, who scored a career-high 28 points and made five 3-pointers. They weren't cheapies either. She was throwing in some bombs.
- Didn't mention this before, but Bonner was named the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division I player of the month for January. It's the first time an Auburn player has won the award. Bonner averaged 25.7 points and 8.4 rebounds in seven games and scored a career-best 35 in the win against Tennessee. She's making a very strong case for national player of the year honors.
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