Thursday evening was a reunion of sorts, as Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris and top scorer DeYona Gaston matched up against their former school, Texas for the first time.

It did not go their way, though, as Texas beat Auburn 74-57, dropping the Tigers to 0-5 in Southeastern Conference play.

The 17-point defeat was a continuation of a rough stretch for Auburn that includes six straight losses for a team that has already been battered by injuries.

Against Texas, the Tigers’ undoing came in the second quarter, getting outscored 23-11 and giving up an 18-3 run to end the half. Texas’ size created mismatches across the board and the Longhorns were able to score in the paint without much resistance all game.

Texas’ Taylor Jones and Madison Booker combined for 37 points and 13 rebounds, leading the charge in the Longhorns’ inside-out offense.

The Longhorns finished with just 28 points in the paint, but consistently got to the free throw line, shooting an efficient 87%. The advantage at the free throw line was clear early on, with Texas shooting 15 free throws to Auburn’s four in the first half.

Thursday was also another slow offensive night for Auburn, something that has plagued the Tigers in SEC play. Auburn shot 39% from the field for the game, and the offense continues to sputter without top perimeter scorer, Taliah Scott.

Head coach Johnnie Harris hoped her team could get somewhat of a spark from freshman guard Yuting Deng — who made her Auburn debut Thursday night — but she played just six minutes, not scoring a point and turning the ball over twice.

She was a small part of a lingering turnover issue that once against hampered Auburn offensively. The Tigers finished the game with 19 turnovers, turning into 17 Texas points.

It’s the fourth time in five SEC games that Auburn has had 15 or more turnovers. That’s not a winning formula, especially considering Auburn’s lack of efficiency shooting the ball.

SEC play hardly ever slows down, but after a loss to the No. 7 team in the country, Auburn can now move on to what might be its best shot to break the losing skid.

The Tigers play Missouri next, a game that pits the only two winless teams in SEC play against each other. A loss would put Auburn alone in last place, but a win could give the team some shred of positivity as it awaits Scott’s return.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m