The Auburn women’s basketball team may have had its biggest weakness exposed Friday night.

It simply can’t ease up on an inferior opponent.

“I don’t think we even know how to slow down,” point guard Whitney Boddie said.

Boddie picked up her first career triple-double and the No. 14 Tigers (9-0) set a school record for most points in a single game in their 119-54 drubbing of Sam Houston State at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

“You can’t start playing outside of what you do,” coach Nell Fortner said. “You’re trying to get your bench minutes and all that.

“I thought we did a fairly good job executing.”

Memories of slow starts against the likes of Georgia Southern and North Carolina A&T were still fresh in the Tigers’ heads, so the Bearkats simply had to serve as the unfortunate example.

The Tigers executed from the start, pulling in front 29-4 just six minutes into the game. Auburn led 62-18 at the half.

“Our goal is to come out and jump on a team quick, regardless,” Boddie said. “So that’s just what we did.”

The only drama left after the opening tip was Boddie’s flirtation with her triple-double. Unlike a baseball team’s silence during a pitcher’s no-hitter or perfect game, the Auburn players were on Boddie throughout the second half to “grab some rebounds.”

She iced it with her 10th and final rebound with 6:47 to play. She was one of seven Auburn players in double figures in scoring with 13 points and dished out 12 assists.

“Those aren’t easy to come by,” Fortner said. “I don’t care who you are playing.”

KeKe Carrier exploited the Bearkats lack of height inside and used a “nice touch,” Fortner said, to lead the Tigers with 19 points on 9-of-9 shooting. DeWanna Bonner finished with 18 points in just 17 minutes of action and Alli Smalley added 16.

Auburn’s bench, led by Carrier, scored 56 points, including 13 apiece from Chantel Hilliard and Reneisha Hobbs.

That was particularly pleasing to Fortner after the bad news that came out of Thursday’s practice. Junior forward Jordan Greenleaf tore her left anterior cruciate ligament in practice Thursday and is out for the season, Fortner said, leaving the Tigers with just 10 players for the rest of the year.

“That changes a lot, changes everything,” Boddie said. “She does the intangibles, the things you can’t teach. That means everyone else has to step up.

“Today was a stepping stone toward that.”

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