Finishing out strong against No. 22 Georgia and No. 20 Kentucky was going to be a tall enough task for an Auburn squad with all its pieces intact.

Without Morgan Toles, who suffered a concussion in the Tigers’ 65-49 loss to South Carolina on Sunday, things will be considerably tougher.

Toles, the sophomore guard who leads the Tigers with 5.1 assists per game and is third on the team with 8.6 points per game, is not expected to play tonight at Georgia (20-7, 10-4 SEC) and is questionable for Sunday’s game at home against Kentucky.

Her injury opens the door for junior Morgan Jennings, who is averaging 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game this season for Auburn (14-13, 7-7), including a 6-point, three-rebound performance last time out against the Gamecocks.

“It changes things up, but that is what the sport is all about — you deal with injuries,” Tigers coach Nell Fortner said. “The kids practice hard every day and stay hungry to play. We will have someone step up in that spot or another spot and be ready to play.”

Jennings and the rest of the Tigers’ perimeter defenders will have their hands full with the Bulldogs’ leading scorer, 5-foot-9 sophomore Jasmine James, who puts in 12.0 points a night and also leads the team with 4.0 assists per game.

The Bulldogs also have options inside, namely 6-2 senior Porsha Phillips, who scores 10.9 points to go along with 10.4 rebounds per game.

Auburn has won the past two meetings with Georgia, though both came on its home floor.

“Georgia is playing really well right now,” Fortner said. “They have a lot of great weapons, but we know them pretty well and are ready to play.”
| 737-2568
Auburn (14-13, 7-7) at Georgia (20-7, 10-4)
Where: Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Ga.
When: 6 p.m.
Radio/TV: WMXA (96.7 FM)/No TV
Projected starters, Auburn: G Morgan Jennings, 5-8, Jr. (2.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg); G Alli Smalley, 5-8, Sr. (11.3 rpg, 3.1 rpg); G/F Blanche Alverson, 6-3, So. (11.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg); F Chantel Hilliard, 6-2, Jr. (5.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg); F Jassany Williams, 6-2, Fr. (3.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
Projected starters, Georgia: G Khaalidah Miller, 5-9, Fr. (9.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg); G Jasmine James, 5-9, So. (12.0 ppg, 4.0 apg); G Meredith Mitchell, 6-1, Jr. (7.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg); F Jasmine Hassell, 6-2, So. (9.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg); F Porsha Phillips, 6-2, Sr. (10.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg)