by AUBURN, Alabama – Caitlyn Ramirez (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma) recorded her fourth career double-double and set a Troy Division I record with 20 rebounds, but Auburn’s pressure defense forced 38 turnovers as the Trojans fell to the Tigers, 61-52, on Friday in Auburn Arena.
Ramirez paced Troy with 13 points, she also recorded four steals. Jayla Chills scored eight points while freshman Kayla Robinson added seven.
Chills’ 3-pointer gave Troy an 18-16 lead with 1:12 remaining in the first quarter, but Auburn responded with a 6-0 run to close the frame. The Trojans were 7-for-18 from beyond the arc in the first half, but managed just one 3-pointer in the final 20 minutes.
STAT OF THE GAME
Ramirez’s 20 rebounds were the most by a Troy player since the Trojans moved to Division I in 1993. The senior from Shawnee, Okla., pulled in 18 defensive rebounds and two offensive boards.
TEAM STATS
FG%: Troy 31.6% (18-57), Auburn 31.9% (22-69)
3FG%: Troy 27.6% (8-29), Auburn 20.8% (20.8)
FT%: Troy 72.7% (8-11), Auburn 57.1% (12-21)
QUOTEABLE
“We let a stretch of negative things continue to bring us down instead of having the maturity to regain the momentum,” Troy head coach Chanda Rigby said. “When that happens, we need some leadership to pull us in and turn things back around.”
UP NEXT
Troy plays Belmont in its home opener on Wednesday; tipoff is set for noon. The Bruins lost to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season and beat Fort Wayne on the road to open the 2016-17 season.
