Tigers are brimming with confidence as they aim to defeat the Lady Bulldogs.
As the 56th encounter between the two teams takes place on the Plains, Katie Abrahamson-Henderson’s Georgia Bulldogs (10-9, 1-5 SEC) and Johnnie Harris’ Tigers (13-6, 2-4 SEC) are beaming with confidence. Auburn is currently in the middle part of SEC play.
In this historic meeting, the Lady Bulldogs lead 35–20, and the Tigers will lose two straight games to Georgia in 2022–2023 season. The most recent came on March 2, 2023, at the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, where Georgia defeated Auburn 63-47 thanks to a strong second half performance.
But the Lady Bulldogs have struggled so far this season, dropping five straight games and finishing 1-5 in the conference. In order to get ready for The Jungle, Georgia had a week off following its most recent 69-59 loss to Ole Miss.
For the Tigers, it’s been a different tale. Auburn’s on-court performance has changed over the last several games as they have defeated both in-state rival Alabama and No. 7 LSU.
Auburn’s defense, which is playing for redemption, will be essential if the Tigers are to win their third straight SEC title.
The previous six opponents the Tigers have faced have averaged 12.8 points fewer than their season scoring average thanks to the defense. The best illustration of this was Auburn’s defense holding the country’s
Georgia’s attack is mostly focused on scoring from inside the three-point line, much like Auburn’s. With an average of 25 made field goals and 12 made free throws per game, the Bulldogs not only dominate at the free-throw line but also shoot 41% from the field. It will be essential for the Tigers’ defense to pressure the Dawgs’ offense to attempt three-pointers because the Bulldogs are the team with the lowest three-point shooting average (only 3.3 made 3-pointers per game).
The way Auburn shoots from the field will be crucial to its triumph over its oldest foe. The Tigers have been victorious each time they attempt a field goal above 40%. This applies to the Tigers’ games against the Bayou Bengals (44%) as well as the
Honesty Scott-Grayson, the Tigers’ top scorer, will need support from the rest of the offense. Scott-Grayson has been a formidable player, averaging 15.9 points per game with a field goal percentage of 40% and a free throw percentage of 78%. In addition, the veteran has 23 steals and 43 assists.
Javyn Nicholson of Georgia leads the Lady Bulldogs’ offensive with 15.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, much like Scott-Grayson did. Nicholson has 15 assists in addition to shooting 70% at the free-throw line and 45% from the field.
As the season goes on, the Auburn Family has witnessed the Tigers’ confidence rise, particularly in their eight most recent acquisitions. Harris stressed that their SEC play experience is the sole reason for the confidence that the spectators have witnessed.
“They’re learning,” Harris said. “I keep saying this, you know, we have eight players on the floor that haven’t played in the SEC. They haven’t played at this level, so they don’t have an understanding of how to prepare, how to overcome when you make a mistake, how to get back in and not get your head down. There’s a lot of good players in the SEC, so you know, other teams are gonna score, you’re gonna get scored on.”
On Monday, January 29, the Tigers and the Lady Bulldogs will play at Neville Arena starting at 6 p.m. CST. Watchers can watch this game on the SEC Network.
A student from Huntsville, Alabama, Caitlyn Griffin is majoring in journalism. Fall of 2022 was her first year with The Plainsman.
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