AUBURN, Ala. (Interstat) — The Auburn Tigers remained undefeated Monday night, holding off a late surge from UNC Greensboro to secure a 64-57 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game at Auburn Arena.

In a contest defined by defensive pressure and nearly identical three-point shooting, the Tigers improved to 3-0 while the Spartans dropped their third straight game to start the season before a crowd of 2,832.

Auburn built an early lead and managed to maintain it despite a sluggish offensive performance in the final quarter. The Tigers opened the game with a 19-point first quarter and led 34-23 at halftime. They extended their advantage by outscoring the Spartans 19-14 in the third quarter, taking a 53-37 lead into the final period.

UNC Greensboro mounted a significant comeback in the fourth quarter, exploding for 20 points while holding Auburn to just 11. The Spartans used a 14-2 run to cut the deficit to just four points with under three minutes to play. However, Auburn’s Mya Petticord and Harissoum Coulibaly made critical plays down the stretch to seal the win for the home team.

Petticord, a guard from Detroit, led the Tigers with 18 points. Coulibaly, from Paris, France, provided a crucial spark off the bench with eight points, including a key jump shot and two free throws in the final minutes that helped stymie the Spartans’ rally. Ja’Mia Harris added 11 points and seven rebounds for Auburn.

UNC Greensboro was carried by the standout performance of Makiah Asidanya. The guard from Pittsburg, California, scored a game-high 22 points, fueled by a 4-for-8 shooting performance from beyond the arc. Rylan Moffitt of Bushnell, Florida, recorded a double-double for the Spartans with 13 points and seven rebounds.

The game was a statistical oddity, as both teams finished with identical field goal totals, making 21 of 46 attempts. Their three-point shooting was also a mirror image, with each squad connecting on 10 of 23 shots from long range. The difference came in other areas, as Auburn capitalized more effectively on turnovers, scoring 20 points off Spartan mistakes compared to 17 for UNC Greensboro. The Tigers also held a slight edge in points in the paint, 14-8.

Auburn’s offense operated more efficiently, posting an offensive rating of 105.7 points per 100 possessions compared to UNC Greensboro’s 97.4. Both teams were nearly even in other categories, with each grabbing nine offensive rebounds and committing a similar number of turnovers.

The Tigers will look to continue their winning streak when they host Mississippi Valley State on Thursday. The Spartans, still in search of their first victory, travel to face Presbyterian on Friday.