Nell Fortner took a “my bad” after, perhaps, working Chantel Hilliard and Morgan Jennings back into the rotation too abruptly Thursday against Alabama.

She’s determined not to make the same mistake twice.

Fortner said she’s in no hurry to give the two previously injured players big minutes. Instead, the Tigers (11-6, 2-2), who face South Carolina (9-7, 2-2) on the road today, will continue to rely on eight players — sometimes six — while Hilliard and Jennings pick up minutes here and there.

“It’s probably going to be more of a slow process,” Fortner said. “We’re OK, but I just want to give them some minutes to get some confidence back.”

Hilliard and Jennings played a combined 8 minutes Thursday, but it was apparent that the flow of the game was just a bit amiss when they were on the floor. Keeping up with the pace of the game wasn’t an issue for either player, but mixing in with the strong chemistry Auburn developed during their absences seemed to be a bit of a hurdle.

Hilliard missed just three games because of a bone bruise on her knee, but had been playing out of rhythm through the bulk of the season, which began with her as a starter.

“Sometimes it takes some time to get total confidence in your game,” Fortner said. “She needs to work on that.”

Jennings, meanwhile, might need some more time than Hilliard, considering that Thursday was her first live action since a disastrous pickup game in July. Jennings made her recovery from a torn ACL in less than six months, so Fortner is already playing with house money in terms of Jennings’ presence in the lineup.

“They’re still a good ways away from being consistent contributors now,” Fortner said. “We’re just trying to get them back in the flow. We’ll be with eight for some time now.”

That hasn’t exactly been a bad thing, especially since Auburn kicked off conference play. The Tigers have led in the second half in all four games thus far, and they’ve come away with victories in the past two.

Four of the eight Auburn players who have played in nearly every game this season are freshmen, making the recent run that much more impressive.

“Every kid has been ready to play and we have had great focus and concentration,” Fortner said. “That will continue.”

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