# 1987–88 Auburn Tigers women's basketball team

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.

## 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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. ||||||

## Awards and honors

* Vickie Orr – SEC Player of the Year, First-team All-American
* Joe Ciampi – SEC Coach of the Year