Auburn University’s women’s basketball team ended its non-conference schedule with a 64-48 victory over Jackson State at Neville Arena on Monday. Mya Petticord led the Tigers with 21 points, matching her season high.
Auburn coach Larry Vickers commented on the team’s performance, saying, “We did an excellent job coming out in the first quarter, not only playing good offense but our defense was solid as well. I was happy with our zone offense execution today.”
Ja’Mia Harris and Sania Richardson contributed 12 points each as Auburn improved to a 7-1 record at home. Petticord made an early impact off the bench, hitting her first three-pointer midway through the first quarter to give Auburn a two-point lead.
Petticord described her confidence during the game: “The moment I came off the bench,” she said about when she felt in rhythm. “I felt good during warmups, I was making my shots and that translated to the game. The coaches and my teammates trust my shot and my scoring ability. I needed that before SEC play.”
During a 7-0 run in the first quarter, Harris hit a three-pointer and A’riel Jackson added a jump shot before Petticord’s corner three gave Auburn a 20-10 advantage.
Jackson State narrowed Auburn’s lead several times in the second quarter but could not overtake them. Khady Leye blocked a shot leading to a transition layup by Harissoum Coulibaly after an assist from Petticord.
Despite being outscored 21-18 in the second quarter, Auburn maintained its lead at halftime thanks to Petticord’s fourth three-pointer, which put them ahead 40-33. In that period, Jackson State capitalized on six Auburn turnovers for nine points and collected seven second-chance points from five offensive rebounds.
In the third quarter, Auburn forced 11 turnovers while holding Jackson State to just four points over ten minutes—including more than eight minutes without scoring.
Freshman point guard Harissoum Coulibaly finished with nine points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. A layup by Coulibaly after a steal gave Auburn another double-digit lead. Jackson then made another steal and passed to Richardson for a layup that capped a 7-0 run.
Richardson opened the fourth quarter with her second three-pointer and reached double figures for the first time in her career with 12 points.
Auburn’s defense continued strong into the final period as they built their largest lead of 17 points while holding Jackson State scoreless for more than five minutes.
Jackson State (2-10) had an advantage on rebounds, collecting 38 compared to Auburn’s 29.
Coach Vickers noted areas for improvement: “We don’t want to give up 17 offensive rebounds but their intensity is going to help us prepare for the two games we have this week.”
With this win, Auburn (11-3) extended its winning streak to three games heading into Thursday’s Southeastern Conference opener against Mississippi State at Humphrey Coliseum at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Looking ahead to conference play, Vickers said: “The pace is going to be a lot faster in the SEC. We want to own our pace, make sure we’re continuing to execute and make each other better.”
