The Auburn Tigers women’s basketball team opened their SEC schedule at home Wednesday night, but despite an electric performance from senior forward DeYona Gaston, the Tigers couldn’t secure the victory, falling to the Ole Miss Rebels 85-58 at Neville Arena.
Gaston delivered a masterclass on the court, pouring in a 30 points displaying a relentless drive throughout the game. However, Ole Miss countered with a balanced attack and clutch plays down the stretch to hand Auburn its first conference loss of the season.
Gaston’s Dominance Not Enough
Auburn started the game well, with a steal from Guard Mar’Shaun Bostic for the first points of the game. In fact, the senior point guard had Auburn’s first 6 points. She seemed poised to have a bounce back game after some struggles in the non-conference games. However, the Top 25 Rebels proved to be too much for a Tigers team that is still without some key players.
“DeYona left it all out there tonight,” said Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris after the game. “She played with heart and determination. We just needed a little more from the rest of the team to match her energy.”
Ole Miss Balanced Scoring
While Auburn relied heavily on Gaston’s heroics, Ole Miss displayed a well-rounded team effort. The Rebels had four players score in double figures, led by Kirsten Deans, who finished with 20 points on 6-9 shooting (including 4-7 from 3). Their ability to find open looks and capitalize on Auburn turnovers proved pivotal.
Ole Miss also made crucial adjustments in the second half, limiting Gaston’s touches in critical moments and forcing other Auburn players to step up. Despite several comeback attempts by the Tigers, Ole Miss pulled away in the fourth quarter, sealing the win with timely three-pointers and free throws.
Struggles Beyond Gaston
Aside from Gaston’s brilliance, Auburn struggled to find consistent offensive production. Guard Mar’Shaun Bostic chipped in 11 points, but the Tigers shot just 49% from the field as a team and committed 29 turnovers, many of which led to fast-break opportunities for the Rebels.
Auburn’s defense, typically a strength, had trouble containing Ole Miss’ balanced attack. The Tigers were dominated by the Rebels depth, as evidenced by the bench scoring. Ole Miss outscored the Tigers by a margin of 28-7 off of the bench.
Looking Ahead
The loss drops Auburn to 9-4 overall and 0-1 in SEC play. While the defeat is a setback, Gaston’s performance is a bright spot and a reminder of the talent Auburn can build around as they navigate the grueling SEC schedule.
“Our focus now is on bouncing back,” Coach Harris said. “This is a tough conference, and every game is a battle. We’ve got to learn from this and be ready for what’s next.”
The Tigers will aim to regroup when they travel to face t LSU Tigers, another top 25 team, in their next SEC matchup. Auburn fans will be hoping for a more balanced effort to complement Gaston’s star power as the team looks to secure its first conference win of the season.
For now, though, the spotlight remains on DeYona Gaston, whose career night gave Auburn fans plenty to cheer for, even in defeat.
Related
