Auburn Women’s Basketball just keeps stacking wins. The Tigers moved to 7-0 with a 59–42 win over UTSA, and while the offense had its moments, this game was all about defense — connected, active, relentless defense.
This group is starting to show a real identity, and Monday’s effort cemented it.
Relentless Defense Sets the Tone
Auburn forced 30 UTSA turnovers — the most by any opponent this season — and turned those giveaways into 25 points. From the opening tip, the Tigers were flying around, getting deflections, making passing angles disappear, and turning defense into easy offense.
Head coach Larry Vickers summed it up perfectly:
“I thought we did a really good job of being active with our hands. When we get deflections and move around … these offenses we’re seeing are good offenses. When we talk, we do a good job defensively, and I thought we did a good job defensively tonight.”
This wasn’t UTSA just making mistakes. Auburn forced nearly all of it. Ball pressure, rotations, help-side discipline — all high level.
The Roadrunners shot just 29.2% from the field, and only 18.5% in the second half. This is now the fourth time this season Auburn has held an opponent under 30% shooting.
That is not an accident. That is identity.
Balanced Scoring with Standout Performances
Auburn didn’t need one star to carry the load because the scoring was spread out in all the right ways.
- Mya Petticord led the way with 14 points, continuing her trend of providing steady offense.
- A’riel Jackson chipped in a season-high 12 points, giving Auburn a lift in key moments.
- Khady Leye added 10 points, rounding out the trio in double figures.
But the most complete performance came from every-coach’s-favorite type of player:
⭐ Kaitlyn Duhon: The Quiet Dominator
Stat line:
7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks
Plus/minus: +22 (team best)
Vickers didn’t hide how much she means to this team:
“She does an excellent job, she loves basketball and plays the right way. We’re super glad she decided to stay at Auburn. And on a game where she was 2-for-8, she dominated the basketball game.”
That’s winning basketball.
Run, Respond, Repeat
Auburn controlled this game with stretches of locked-in basketball:
- 12–0 run in the first quarter to create early separation
- Big responses each time UTSA threatened in the second
- 11–0 burst bridging the third and fourth to push the lead to 20
Even when foul trouble extended UTSA’s late possessions, Auburn’s defense slammed the door, allowing just one field goal in the last five minutes.
Owning the Physical Battle
Even with the turnovers being the storyline, Auburn did more than just pressure the ball.
- Won the rebounding battle 37–33
- Controlled the paint 32–14
- Shot a solid 40.7% from the field, with four made threes to keep the offense balanced
When you defend like this and dominate the paint like this, you don’t need to be perfect from deep.
Next Up: California
Auburn has one more matchup in the Hoopfest Challenge, taking on California at 6:30 p.m. CT Wednesday. The game is available on FloSports and the Auburn Sports Network.
This team is 7-0.
This team has an identity.
And this team is building something that will matter come SEC play.
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