JaMya Mingo-Young evaluates Auburn's response vs. Arkansas after getting 'chewed out' at halftime

Although Auburn took a six-point lead into halftime against Arkansas, the Tigers thought they could’ve looked sharper. That was part of the message at halftime, according to JaMya Mingo-Young.

It’s safe to say the Tigers listened to Johnnie Young’s message, outscoring the Razorbacks 34-21 after the break to come away with the 67-48 victory in the SEC Tournament. Mingo-Young was a key part of the effort as she finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists – and one turnover as she ran the offense.

The biggest point of emphasis was on the defensive end, and it paid off in a big way with a huge final two quarters.

“I felt like, as a team, we started out real slow,” Mingo-Young said after the game. “Coach pulled me out real quick. We got chewed out at halftime, so the second half, I feel like we came out and played with great energy. And that’s what I wanted to bring, especially on the defensive end. Score-stop-score, that was my mindset. Just getting everybody involved.

“This is a great team win for us, and I’m just proud of everybody.”

Young wasn’t too happy about her team’s defense in the early going, though. Arkansas has the ability to heat up on offense, and that could’ve spelled the end of Auburn’s season. Mingo-Young said the Tigers knew that, and they upped their defensive tenacity in the final frame to speed past the Razorbacks to advance in the tournament.

“It was a close game, and we knew if we let that team stick around, they’re dangerous,” Mingo-Young said. “If we let them get hot from three, they’re dangerous. In the third quarter, it was kind of tight. We just knew we had to turn it up. Stay up the lines, playing hard, diving on the floor for loose balls, bringing maximum effort on the defensive end. I think we did that.”

By advancing, Auburn faces a tall task. The Tigers will take on reigning national champions LSU, the No. 1 overall seed with a 26-4 overall record – including a 13-3 record in SEC play. One of those losses came to Auburn, though, in January in a 67-62 ballgame.

Since then, LSU lost just two games, including eight straight to end the regular season. Mingo-Young knows Auburn will have to play its best game on Friday and focus on the details.

“That’s a great team,” Mingo-Young said. “They’re full of talent. … We’re gonna have to come out gritty, we’re gonna have to be the hardest-working team. We’re gonna have to get all the 50-50 balls, we’ve gotta rebound, we’ve got to do all the little things against their team and just play tough, man. Play tough, attack them.”