LSU Flexes Its Muscle, Auburn Struggles to Keep Pace in SEC Clash
AUBURN, Ala. - Harissoum Coulibaly continues to be a bright spot in a tough stretch for Auburn, but even her steady play wasn’t enough to slow down a surging LSU squad on Sunday. The fifth-ranked Tigers from Baton Rouge rolled into Neville Arena and left with a dominant 77-44 win, showing exactly why they’re considered one of the SEC’s elite.
From the opening tip, LSU set the tone. Auburn found itself in an early 7-0 hole and never quite recovered.
The home Tigers couldn’t buy a bucket from deep in the first half, missing their first 14 attempts from beyond the arc. It wasn’t until Clara Koulibaly knocked down a three in the third quarter that Auburn finally connected from distance.
Still, freshman Harissoum Coulibaly kept battling. She finished with 13 points, four assists, and three steals-leading Auburn in all three categories.
Her effort stood out in a game where offensive rhythm was hard to come by. Whether it was slashing to the rim for an and-one or hustling on the break, Coulibaly showed flashes of the star she’s on track to become.
“She’s trying,” head coach Larry Vickers said postgame. “We’ve got to make her job easier. She’s going to be a thousand-point scorer in this league-it’s just about helping her get there.”
Vickers didn’t sugarcoat the overall performance. Auburn has shown it can hang with teams ranked in the 10-30 range, but matchups against top-five competition have been another story.
“It was a tough game to watch,” Vickers admitted. “We’ve got to do a better job against teams that can cut the nets down in March. I don’t feel like we had it today.”
Auburn’s defense did create some chaos, forcing 19 LSU turnovers and turning them into 22 points-more than half of Auburn’s total output. Kaitlyn Duhon and Syriah Daniels were particularly active on that end, each swiping four steals. Duhon also chipped in nine points and five boards, while Koulibaly led the team with 10 rebounds.
But LSU’s size, depth, and execution were simply overwhelming. Zakiyah Johnson led the way with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Amiya Joyner came off the bench to post a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double. LSU controlled the glass with a commanding 54-30 edge, and by halftime, they had built a 36-13 lead-thanks in part to an 8-0 run to close the second quarter.
The third quarter saw more of the same. LSU padded its lead by another 10 points, even as Auburn finally saw a few shots fall. Transition offense off steals remained Auburn’s most reliable source of points, but it wasn’t nearly enough to close the gap.
The final frame was more balanced, with both teams scoring 16 points. Auburn got late threes from Duhon and Ja’Mia Harris, but by that point, the outcome was well in hand.
After the game, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey spoke about the challenges of building a program in today’s transfer-heavy, NIL-driven landscape-something Auburn’s Vickers is navigating in his first season at the helm.
“When you’re a first-time coach, you inherit players. You bring in players through the portal,” Mulkey said.
“It takes time to get your own recruits in. I used to say build a foundation, but you don’t build foundations with NIL and the portal.
You never know who you’re going to have year to year.”
For Auburn (13-12, 2-9 SEC), the loss extends a six-game skid. The Tigers will get a bit of a breather with a midweek open date before heading to College Station to face Texas A&M next Sunday. Their next home game is set for Monday, Feb. 23, against Georgia.
There’s no question this team is still searching for its footing against the SEC’s top tier. But with Coulibaly continuing to shine and the defense showing signs of life, there’s still time to build something meaningful down the stretch.