Auburn Tigers best Aggies, snap three-game skid
After dropping a forgettable contest to Alabama on Super Bowl Sunday, head coach Johnnie Harris and the Auburn women's basketball team found themselves on the winning end of an all-important SEC conference showdown for the Fourth time in the 2022-23 season; The Tigers seized the opportunity when Texas A&M travelled to Neville Arena on Thursday night, handing the Aggies a 65-55 defeat and placing themselves back into the win column.
From the opening tip, Auburn did not waste any time in getting to work on either end of the floor; the Tigers found themselves pushing offensive tempo, knocking down north of 50 percent of their shots from the floor and forcing the visiting Aggies into empty possessions — 10 of which resulted in a forced turnover.
The challenge coach J and company endured in the early going? The orange and blue were not the only ones firing on all cylinders.
Despite entering the game losers of four straight and with just one win in conference play, Texas A&M brought its best stuff in the first half of the contest; the Aggies shot 54.5 percent from the field in the first quarter alone and forced Auburn into six turnovers, keeping the Tigers off the board on a multitude of possessions.
Before long, it became clear that the contest was going to develop into more of a track meet than a clash on the hardwood; both squads found themselves pushing tempo, working their way to the rim and playing suffocating defense.
As has become seemingly a tradition for the Tigers, junior guard Aicha Coulibaly led the way on both ends, dropping nine points, three rebound and a block.
Both squads entered the locker room shooting over 40 percent from the floor with the visiting Aggies out front just 30-27.
Following the halftime intermission, the full-strength Aggies put their foot on the gas, jumping out to an eight-point lead and building momentum; Coulibaly and company had other plans. Auburn quickly jumped out onto a run, closing the gap and reminded its opponent of their abilities to play catch-up basketball.
The familiar foes headed into the final 10 minutes of regulation separated by just a pair with Texas A&M out front 43-41.
As it has on so many occasions in 2023, Auburn saved the drama for the final five minutes of play, capturing its first lead and trading baskets with the Aggies until nearly the final buzzer before ultimately going up four and never looking back.
By the end of the contest, Auburn had a trio of players in double figures: Coulibaly, redshirt senior Honesty Scott-Grayson and freshman Kharyssa Richardson.
With its fourth SEC victory now in the past, Auburn will go back to work in preparation for a Sunday morning showdown with the Tennessee Lady Vols at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2 and the Auburn Sports Network.
