Tigers Drop Nail-Biter to Missouri, Fall to 0-2 in SEC Play

Auburn women's basketball dropped its second consecutive contest in dramatic fashion and must now regroup to face the premier program in women's college hoops.

Connor Putman | AU Athletics

In the world of intercollegiate athletics, the Southeastern conference is a monstrosity which towers above its competition in a slew of disciplines; women's basketball is certainly no exception. From the years of excellence in Knoxville by the Lady Vols to the recent surge of complete dominance by Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks, winning in this league is a tough feat to accomplish.

Second-year head coach Johnnie Harris' young squad has gotten a heavy dose of that reality in its first two contests, dropping their most recent game in heartbreaking fashion to the red-hot Tigers of Missouri 56-62.

According to Harris, it was the smaller details within the contest that ultimate led to the orange and blue's demise.

"I thought it was the little things that got us beat today," Harris said. "I thought our team came back and played harder. They played tougher, we just made mistakes. We still missed shots that we have to make."

Harris cited her group's inability to outwork its opponent on the glass as one of the primary examples of correctable mistakes.

"We also got out-rebounded," Harris said. "I wasn't pleased with how we went to the boards."

Matters grew bleak in the third quarter when junior Aicha Coulibaly was forced out of the contest, leaving the already limited Tigers even more shorthanded.

"I thought — when (Coulibaly) went down in the third quarter — they took advantage of us," Harris said. "We turned the ball over entirely too much during that span."

Despite going down, Auburn's standout guard was still able to post 20 points across 32 minutes.

Although ultimately detrimental to the Tigers, Coulibaly was not the only standout unable to compete alongside her teammates; redshirt senior Honesty Scott-Grayson was unavailable for the second consecutive contest due to injury.

"I am really missing (Scott-Grayson)," Harris said. "Not just her shooting. Her presence on the floor, she can calm things down. She can create. She's been the one that has been helping us at point some, she does a lot for us as well as scoring."

While Scott-Grayson's injury does not appear to be long-term, Harris mentioned that the staff is insistent upon making sure the star guard is completely healthy prior to returning to the hardwood.

In the meantime, the Tigers must get back in the gym.

"We will get back, get to work and get better," Harris said.

Unfortunately for Harris and company, the road ahead does not grow any more forgiving. Auburn must now regroup and spend the next three days preparing for its road contest with Aliya Boston and top-ranked Gamecocks of South Carolina. Tipoff for the conference showdown will be at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network plus and the Auburn radio network.