1987–88 Auburn Tigers women's basketball team Intercollegiate basketball season
The 1987–88 Auburn Tigers women's basketball team represented Auburn University during the [1987–88 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Tigers, led by ninth-year head coach Joe Ciampi , played their home games at Joel H. Eaves Memorial Coliseum as members of the Southeastern Conference . They finished the season 32–3, 9–0 in SEC play to win the conference regular season title. Ranked No. 1, they lost to Tennessee in championship game of the SEC women's tournament. Auburn finished the regular season ranked No. 3 and was selected as the No. 1 seed in the Mideast regional of the NCAA tournament . They defeated Penn State, Georgia, and Maryland to reach the first Final Four in program history. The Lady Tigers then defeated No. 2 seed in the Midwest region, Long Beach State, to reach the National championship game where Auburn was defeated by Louisiana Tech, 56–54.
This season marked the first of three straight National runner-up finishes for the Auburn women's basketball program.
Roster
1987–88 Auburn Tigers women's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on
Roster
Schedule
Date time, TV
Rank#
Opponent#
Result
Record
Site (attendance) city, state
Regular season
Nov 27, 1987 *
No. 3
vs. Providence Lady Sunshine Classic
W 107–69
1–0
Orlando, Florida
Nov 28, 1987 *
No. 3
vs. South Carolina Lady Sunshine Classic
W 88–52
2–0
Orlando, Florida
Nov 30, 1987
No. 3
Monmouth
W 80–48
3–0
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
Dec 5, 1987
No. 3
Georgia State
W 110–52
4–0
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
Dec 11, 1987 *
No. 3
vs. No. 18 USC Long Beach Dial Classic
W 85–57
5–0
Long Beach Arena Long Beach, California
Dec 12, 1987 *
No. 3
at No. 7 Long Beach State Long Beach Dial Classic
W 87–76
6–0
Long Beach Arena Long Beach, California
Dec 15, 1987 *
No. 2
at UCLA
W 76–52
7–0
Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, California
Dec 19, 1987 *
No. 2
at Alabama State
W 95–73
8–0
Lockhart Gym Montgomery, Alabama
Dec 28, 1987 *
No. 2
vs. No. 5 Iowa Burger King/Orange Bowl Tournament
L 69–73[ 1]
8–1
James L. Knight International Center Miami, Florida
Dec 29, 1987 *
No. 2
at Miami (FL) Burger King/Orange Bowl Tournament
W 96–48
9–1
James L. Knight International Center Miami, Florida
Dec 30, 1987 *
No. 2
vs. No. 16 Maryland Burger King/Orange Bowl Tournament
W 75–57
10–1
James L. Knight International Center Miami, Florida
Jan 6, 1988 *
No. 2
Tuskegee
W 105–44
11–1
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
Jan 9, 1988
No. 2
at No. 4 Tennessee
W 71–68
12–1 (1–0)
Thompson–Boling Arena Knoxville, Tennessee
Jan 13, 1988 *
No. 3
Detroit
W 106–44
13–1
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
Jan 16, 1988
No. 3
at Mississippi State
W 76–65
14–1 (2–0)
Humphrey Coliseum Starkville, Mississippi
Jan 20, 1988 *
No. 3
Chattanooga
W 96–62
15–1
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
Jan 23, 1988 *
No. 3
at New Orleans
W 73–54
16–1
Lakefront Arena New Orleans, Louisiana
Jan 27, 1988
No. 3
at Alabama
W 88–57
17–1 (3–0)
Coleman Coliseum Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Jan 30, 1988
No. 3
No. 7 Ole Miss
W 71–70
18–1 (4–0)
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
Feb 3, 1988
No. 3
LSU
W 78–47
19–1 (5–0)
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
Feb 6, 1988
No. 3
Florida
W 75–42
20–1 (6–0)
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
Feb 10, 1988
No. 3
No. 13 Georgia
W 89–70
21–1 (7–0)
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
Feb 14, 1988
No. 3
Kentucky
W 93–57
22–1 (8–0)
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
Feb 18, 1988 *
No. 2
at Syracuse
W 87–70
23–1
Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Feb 20, 1988 *
No. 2
at Wilkes College
W 107–35
24–1
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Feb 22, 1988 *
No. 2
at South Alabama
W 68–55
25–1
Mobile, Alabama
Feb 28, 1988
No. 2
at Vanderbilt
W 89–57
26–1 (9–0)
Memorial Gymnasium Nashville, Tennessee
SEC Tournament
March 5, 1988
(1) No. 1
(8) Mississippi State Quarterfinals
W 78–48
27–1
Albany Civic Center Albany, Georgia
March 6, 1988
(1) No. 1
(5) No. 12 Ole Miss Semifinals
W 69–60
28–1
Albany Civic Center Albany, Georgia
March 7, 1988
(1) No. 1
(2) No. 3 Tennessee Championship game
L 70–73
28–2
Albany Civic Center Albany, Georgia
NCAA Tournament
March 19, 1988
(1 ME) No. 3
(9 ME) Penn State Second round
W 94–66
29–2
Eaves Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama
March 24, 1988
(1 ME) No. 3
at (4 ME) No. 17 Georgia Regional Semifinal – Sweet Sixteen
W 68–65
30–2
Stegeman Coliseum Athens, Georgia
March 26, 1988
(1 ME) No. 3
vs. (2 ME) No. 9 Maryland Regional Final – Elite Eight
W 103–74[ 2]
31–2
Stegeman Coliseum Athens, Georgia
April 1, 1988
(1 ME) No. 3
vs. (2 W) No. 7 Long Beach State National semifinal – Final Four
W 68–55[ 3]
32–2
Tacoma Dome (8,449)Tacoma, Washington
April 3, 1988
(1 ME) No. 3
vs. (2 MW) No. 5 Louisiana Tech National Championship
L 54–56[ 4]
32–3
Tacoma Dome (8,448)Tacoma, Washington
*Non-conference game.
# Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in
Central Time .
[ 5]
Rankings
Awards and honors
References
^ "Iowa Women Steal Four-Point Victory Over No. 2 Auburn" . Sun Sentinel . December 29, 1987. Retrieved May 4, 2024 .
^ "Maryland's Women Fall Out, 103-74" . The Washington Post . March 26, 1988. Retrieved May 5, 2024 .
^ "CS Long Beach Makes Run For It, Then Gives It Away In 68-55 Loss" . The Los Angeles Times . April 2, 1988. Retrieved May 4, 2024 .
^ "La. Tech Rallies to Win Title" . The New York Times . April 4, 1988. Retrieved May 4, 2024 .
^ "1987-88 Auburn Tigers women's basketball schedule" . Auburn University Athletics . Retrieved May 4, 2024 .
Venues Culture & lore People Seasons NCAA Final Four appearance in italics