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Nov. 23, 2009

Georgia Southern Game Notes

AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn women's basketball team (2-2) will wrap up its three-game homestand Tuesday as the Tigers welcome Georgia Southern (1-1) for a mid-week game. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. It will be Youth Night at the Coliseum with children ages 12 and under getting in free with a paid adult.

The Tigers are coming off a 79-59 loss on Sunday to No. 15 Texas A&M, a loss that broke a 15-game home winning streak for Auburn. Head coach Nell Fortner said her team was able to take some things away from the loss to help them become the team they will be at the beginning of the Southeastern Conference season.

"There's a lot to learn from Sunday, but we have basically just have to become a better team," said Fortner. "I thought there were some things we made improvement on, but we are not the team we will be in a month and a half. We are going to get better every time out."

The Tigers struggled under the suffocating Aggie defense that forced 23 Auburn turnovers, resulting in 32 Texas A&M points. The defensive production is an area Fortner said her team will have to improve on as the season goes along.

"We've got to become a more disciplined defensive team because we had bad defensive breakdowns that gave Texas A&M easy shots," said Fortner. "When you're shooting layups and uncontested jumpers, it makes the game a lot easier and we were having to work extremely hard for everything that we got, so we've got to become a better defensive team and then we've got to do things to get our shooters looks.

"We have to get Ali Smalley some clean looks, get Nicole (Thomas) involved in the offense a little more and those are the things we've got to get better at."

Her team will get a chance to improve on that as the Eagles come to town in a return game from last season. Auburn traveled to Statesboro, Ga., on Nov. 19, 2008 and left with a 71-45 win over the host Eagles. Alli Smalley led the Tigers in the game with 18 points while current sophomore Chantel Hilliard came off the bench for 10 points and six rebounds. Parrisha Simmons added a team-high seven rebounds off the bench.

Auburn was up by only 11 at halftime, shooting 39.4 percent in the opening period. But, the Tigers bounced back after the break, shooting 57.1 percent in the second half while out-scoring the Eagles, 35-18, for the win. The Tigers tallied 11 steals in the game, led by four from Smalley, forcing 20 Georgia Southern turnovers.

"They really put it on us in the first half last year," said Fortner. "I thought we just played smarter defense in the second half against them last year and didn't turn the ball over as much and made a really strong run at them. We got settled in and figured out how to guard them."

With the Eagles returning three starters and 10 letterwinners from last season, Fortner expects to see a similar team Tuesday in the Coliseum.

"They run a really disciplined offense, they run the flex a lot," said Fortner. "They are very exact about it and they run it very well. You have got to be prepared to guard it because they have good 3-point shooters. You just have to be disciplined in how you defend it and make sure you don't give up any easy shots in it. "

The Eagles were picked to finish sixth in the 11-member Southern Conference in a vote by the league's head coaches. Georgia Southern is under the direction of 14-year head coach Rusty Cram, who sports a 201-179 record.

GSU is 1-1 so far this season with a 96-44 win over NAIA-member Brewton-Parker and a 69-42 loss at No. 11/12 Duke. J'Lisia Ogburn led the Eagles with 11 points against the Blue Devils.

The Eagles return three starters and seven players that played against Auburn last season. Jamie Navarro had the best game among the returners with eight points and five rebounds off the bench. Ogburn and Krista Tate had five points each while Jessica Geiger pulled down 10 rebounds.

Ogburn is leading the team so far this season with 14.5 points per game and 6.5 rebounds. Kayla Dayton is second in the team in scoring, averaging 9.0 points off the bench, including a team-best three 3-pointers. Carolyn Whitney is right behind her at 8.5 points per game while Navarro averages 6.0 points and 3.5 assists.

As a team, Georgia Southern is shooting 43.5 percent from the field, including a 31.0 mark from beyond the arc. The Eagles average 21 turnovers per game and have been out-rebounded by an average of 5.5 per game.

Tickets are still available for Sunday's game, as well as season tickets. Season ticket individual packages are $50, while the family plan, which includes four tickets, is $150. Regular season-single game tickets are $5 and Auburn students are allowed in for free. Groups of 20 or more can purchase in advance for a discounted price of $2 per ticket.

For more information, please call the Athletic Department ticket office at 1-800-AUB-1957 or visit www.auburntigers.com.

For fans that cannot make it to the game GameTracker will be available at www.AuburnTigers.com. Tiger fans can listen to the game live on WMXA 96.7 FM with play-by-play from Andy Burcham and color commentary from Arnika Edwards. Audio and video Webcasts will also be available at www.AuburnTigers.com.

Auburn Women's Basketball Quick Hitters

• Tuesday's game is the last of a three-game homestand for the Tigers
• Auburn is coming off an 79-59 loss to Texas A&M on Nov. 22, breaking a 15-game home winning streak
• The Tigers tied the Auburn single-game blocks record against Alabama A&M with 17
• Freshman Morgan Toles and sophomores Chantel Hilliard and Parrisha Simmons earned their first career starts in the season-opener against Troy; freshman Nicolle Thomas earned her first career start against Alabama A&M
• Morgan Toles and Nicolle Thomas started against Alabama A&M, marking the first time for Auburn to have multiple freshmen starters since March 3, 2006 against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament (Boddie, Bonner, Carrier)
• KeKe Carrier, Auburn's lone senior, started against Alabama A&M - her first since Feb. 11, 2007
• The Tigers are beginning their final season in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum before moving to the new Auburn Arena
• Four active Tigers (Smalley, Simmons, Hilliard and Carrier) played against Georgia Southern last season, Smalley led the team in scoring with 18 points while Hilliard followed with 10 off the bench; Simmons added a team-high seven rebounds
• Seven active Eagles (Ogburn, Geiger, Whitney, Navarro, Tate, Williams and McKenzie) played against Auburn last season: Navarro had eight points off the bench while Geiger had game-high 10 rebounds
• Auburn owns a 3-1 all-time lead in the series with Georgia Southern, dating back to the 1976-77 season
• Auburn is 7-2 all-time on Nov. 24; the last game on Nov. 22 was against Winston-Salem State (W, 70-37) in 2007
• The Tigers are 96-18 all-time in the month of November, 27-8 under Fortner
• Auburn owns an 23-2 all-time record against current members of the Southern Conference
• AU has a 62-17 non-conference record under Nell Fortner
• Since Jan. 5, 1992, Auburn has compiled a 122-6 record against non-conference opponents at home
• Auburn was picked eighth in the SEC Preseason Media and Coaches' polls, LSU (media) and Tennessee (coaches) were picked to win the league this season
• Alli Smalley was picked the the Coaches' Preseason All-SEC Second Team
• AU is receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches' top-25 polls, it marks the third year in a row for Auburn to either receive votes or be ranked in the preseason poll
• Nell Fortner is beginning her sixth season at Auburn, marking her longest tenure at any job
• The Tigers welcome four newcomers: Blanche Alverson, Morgan Toles, Nicolle Thomas, Pascale West
• Auburn begins the season with 6-7 KeKe Carrier and 6-8 Pascale West, two of the three tallest players in the SEC
• AU is without Reneisha Hobbs and Morgan Jennings after suffering ACL injuries, leaving the Tigers with a roster of nine
• Auburn will be a first- and second-round host of the 2011 NCAA Tournament in the new Auburn Arena

GAME NOTES

RANKINGS
Auburn is currently receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll. Georgia Southern is not ranked.

NEXT UP FOR THE TIGERS
Auburn will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., for the 2009 Florida State Seminole Classic. The Tigers will take on host Florida State at 6 p.m. CT, Friday before capping off the weekend with a 1 p.m. CT, Saturday matchup against Florida A&M.

QUICK HITS
Auburn is in its 39th season of women's basketball and sports an all-time record of 767-331... AU has made 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, two WNIT appearances and three Final Fours in the program's history... Head Coach Nell Fortner is in her sixth season at Auburn with a 120-70 career record and a 103-59 record on the Plains... The Tigers are coming off a 30-4 season in 2008-09 with their first SEC title in 20 years and its second NCAA Tournament appearance in as many seasons.

THE SERIES
Auburn holds a 3-1 all-time series lead over the Eagles. Georgia Southern won the first meeting, 62-59, during the 1976-77 season, but the Tigers have won the last three including last season's 71-45 win.

SCOUTING AUBURN
Auburn returns seven letterwinners and one starter from last season's team that went 30-4, won the SEC title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are under the direction of head coach Nell Fortner who is in her sixth season at Auburn. She sports a 119-70 overall record as a head coach and a 102-59 record on the Plains.

Junior Alli Smalley is the lone holdover from that lineup after averaging 11.1 points per game last season. She tied her career high with 23 points in the season opener against Troy and is averaging 20.5 points per game on the season, good enough for fourth in the SEC.

Smalley will be looked upon to help fill the offensive void left by last season's seniors as they accounted for 67 percent of Auburn's total offense, scoring 51.2 of the Tigers' 76.5 points per outing.

AU also welcomes back redshirt junior Jordan Greenleaf after she sat out the bulk of the 2008-09 season with an ACL injury. She averaged 6.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore and was averaging 7.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in her five appearances last season. So far this season, she is averaging 5.0 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game, along with 2.5 steals.

SCOUTING GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Georgia Southern returns three starters and 10 letterwinners from last season's team that went 16-14 (11-9) and finished fifth in the Southern Conference. The Eagles were picked to finish sixth in the 11-member Southern Conference in a vote by the league's head coaches. Georgia Southern is under the direction of 14-year head coach Rusty Cram, who sports a 201-179 record.

GSU is 1-1 so far this season with a 96-44 win over NAIA-member Brewton-Parker and a 69-42 loss at No. 11/12 Duke.

The Eagles return three starters and seven players that played against Auburn last season. Jamie Navarro had the best game among the returners with eight points and five rebounds off the bench. J'Lisia Ogburn and Krista Tate had five points each while Jessica Geiger pulled down 10 rebounds.

Ogburn is leading the team so far this season with 14.5 points per game and 6.5 rebounds. Kayla Dayton is second in the team in scoring, averaging 9.0 points off the bench, including a team-best three 3-pointers. Carolyn Whitney is right behind her at 8.5 points per game while Navarro averages 6.0 points and 3.5 assists.

As a team, Georgia Southern is shooting 43.5 percent from the field, including a 31.0 mark from beyond the arc. The Eagles average 21 turnovers per game and have been out-rebounded by an average of 5.5 per game.

LAST TIME OUT FOR AUBURN
Auburn is coming off a 79-59 loss to No. 15/8 Texas A&M, the Tigers' first game against a ranked opponent this season. The loss broke a 15-game home winning streak for Auburn.

Alli Smalley led Auburn with 18 points, going 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. Senior KeKe Carrier tallied nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Texas A&M forced 23 Auburn turnovers in the game, gathering 15 steals. The Aggies held Auburn to 38.0 percent shooting.

LAST TIME OUT FOR GEORGIA SOUTHERN
J'Lisia Ogburn scored 11 points as Georgia Southern lost, 69-42, to No. 11/12 Duke. The Blue Devils held the Eagles to 34 percent shooting and out-rebounded GSU, 46-22.

Duke held a 35-17 advantage at halftime and out-scored Georgia Southern, 34-25, in the second half en route to the 27-point victory.

Jessica Geiger had seven points and six rebounds for the Eagles while Meredith Frye added eight points off the bench.

LAST TIME VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Auburn senior Sherell Hobbs scored the 1,000th point of her career on Nov. 19, 2008 as the 20th-ranked Tigers cruised to a 71-45 win against Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga.

Hobbs entered the game with 995 career points, needing just five to reach the 1,000-plateau. At the 11:45 mark in the second half, Hobbs picked up a steal at mid-court and ran it in for the layup and No. 1,000. She becomes the 24th player all-time at Auburn to reach the mark.

Sophomore Alli Smalley led Auburn with 18 points, 12 of which came in the second half, and four steals. Senior DeWanna Bonner followed with 11 points and freshman Chantel Hilliard rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10. Freshman Parrisha Simmons was the only Tiger to go scoreless in the game, but led Auburn in rebounding with seven.

Georgia Southern kept the game close in the first half, cutting the Tiger lead to two at the 2:25 mark.

AU finished the half on an 8-1 run to take a 36-27 lead into the locker room. After making adjustments at halftime, Auburn tore out on an 18-5 run to open the second period thanks to 10 points, including two three-pointers from Smalley. Auburn fed off Smalley from there, rolling over the Eagles by a 35-18 margin in the second half en route to the 71-45 win.

AGAINST THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Auburn holds a 23-2 all-time record against current members of the Southern Conference. Auburn's last meeting against a SoCon school came in last season's 71-45 win at Georgia Southern. Both losses to SoCon schools have come at the hands of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

Nell Fortner VS. RUSTY CRAM
This is the second time that Auburn's Nell Fortner and Georgia Southern's Rusty Cram will face each other with Fortner holding the 1-0 advantage. Fortner is in her sixth season at Auburn and holds a 120-69 record on The Plains. Cram is in his 14th season at GSU and holds a 201-189 record. Prior to coming to GSU, Cram spent eight seasons as a high school coach in Alabama and Louisiana.

ON THIS DATE. . .
Auburn is 7-2 all-time when playing on Nov. 24. The last game for the Tigers on Nov. 24 came in 2007 when the Tigers picked up a 70-37 win over Winston-Salem State. The last loss came in 2006, 65-61, vs. Marquette.

STARTING FRESHMEN
In the Nov. 19 win over Alabama A&M, Nicolle Thomas made her first career appearance in the starting lineup, joining fellow freshman Morgan Toles. With two freshmen starting, it marked the first time for Auburn to have multiple freshmen in the starting lineup since March 3, 2006 when freshmen Whitney Boddie, DeWanna Bonner and KeKe Carrier started in the SEC Tournament against Tennessee.

BACK IN THE LINEUP
KeKe Carrier, the lone senior on Auburn's roster this season, made her 24th career start on Nov. 19 against Alabama A&M. It marked the first time for Carrier to start a game at Auburn since Feb. 11, 2007 when she started at Vanderbilt.

HOME COOKIN'
Since a 77-70 loss to Virginia on Jan. 5, 1992, the Auburn Tigers have compiled a 122-6 record against non-conference opponents in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. Overall, Auburn has a 341-66 record in its home facility for an .840 winning percentage.

15 IN A ROW
Until the 79-59 loss to Texas A&M, the Auburn women's basketball team had won 15 consecutive games at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. With the season-opening win over Troy and victory over Alabama A&M, the Auburn women's basketball team has won its last 15 home games, dating back to the 2007-08 season. Auburn's last home loss came on Feb. 28, 2008 in a 73-56 decision to Vanderbilt. The Tigers won the last home game of the 2007-08 season and followed up by winning all 12 home games last season.

OUTSIDE THE LEAGUE
Nell Fortner has guided the Tigers to a 62-17 ledger in non-conference play. When playing in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum, Fortner's teams have posted a 25-4 mark. The only three non-conference losses in BEMC came from Xavier on Dec. 2, 2005 (58-60), No. 2 Duke on Dec. 31, 2004 (61-80), No. 20 George Washington on Jan. 3, 2008 (68-66) and No. 15 Texas A&M on Nov. 22, 2009 (79-59).

OFFENSE WINS GAMES
Auburn is 73-2 when scoring 70 or more points in the Nell Fortner era. The only times Auburn has lost when scoring at least 70 points was on Jan. 20, 2005 vs. No. 7 Tennessee, 71-81 and Feb. 19, 2009 at No. 18 Vanderbilt, 73-70. When scoring less than 70 points, Auburn is 30-55 during the Fortner era.

IN NOVEMBER
Auburn is 96-18 all-time in the month of November, including a 27-8 mark under Nell Fortner (records begin in 1978-79 season, not all dates provided prior to or during that season).

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