Auburn took down Jacksonville State 62-53 in the Tigers final game before SEC play begins. Unique Thompson and Daisa Alexander were the stars for Auburn with Thompson recording another double-double and Alexander achieving a career milestone.
Unique Thompson was unstoppable throughout the game and especially in the second half. She recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. She has recorded a double-double in every game this season, the only Division 1 player to do so.
Late in the 3rd quarter, Daisa Alexander surpassed the 1,000 career points mark with a jumper just inside the right wing.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle of turnovers for the two teams with Auburn committing 11 and Jacksonville State committing 13. The Tigers were able to score 11 points off those turnovers, while the Gamecocks only scored five points off turnovers.
Auburn used its size advantage well and grabbed seven offensive rebounds in the first half which turned into 12 2nd chance points. Jacksonville State only had four offensive rebounds and five 2nd chance points.
Brooke Moore led the Tigers in points and assists in the first half with seven points and two assists. The sophomore guard finished with nine points.
The turnover trend continued into the second half with the Gamecocks turning it over eight times in the 3rd quarter.
The Gamecocks made a strong effort in the 4th quarter to comeback by outscoring Auburn 24-17, but Unique Thompson and Natalie Kelly made clutch shots in the final 1:30 to preserve the Auburn victory.
Auburn will begin SEC play on Thursday, January 2nd in Nashville to take on Vanderbilt. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
Solutions by The State News
