AUBURN, Ala.- No. 11 Texas A&M locked up the No. 2 seed in the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament, and a second-place SEC finish for the second time in the past three seasons, with a 57-49 win at Auburn on Thursday at Auburn Arena. The win represented Texas A&M's sixth straight.
The Tigers (18-10, 8-7 SEC) took a 13-6 lead after the first period, and did not trail again until the 3:39 mark of the third quarter, when the Aggies (21-7, 11-4 SEC) took a 37-35 lead.
A&M and Auburn did not have much separation the rest of the way, as the game featured 8 ties and was tied for 8:29 of game time. Anriel Howard's layup with 4:38 left in the fourth quarter gave A&M its first two-possession lead, and the Aggies were able to hit 8 of 10 free throws down the stretch to seal victory.
Khaalia Hillsman and Courtney Walker each scored 16 points for the Aggies, with Hillsman's featuring a 8-of-11 shooting night.
Hillsman was the Aggies' leading rebounder with 7.
The Aggies finish the regular season on Sunday, February 28 at 3 p.m. on ESPN when No. 15 Kentucky visits Reed Arena for Senior Day. A&M has clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming SEC Women's Basketball Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., and plays in a quarterfinal game on Friday, March 4 at 5 p.m. CT.
QUICKIE NOTES
• Texas A&M is 21-7 on the season and 11-4 in SEC play. Auburn is 18-10 and 8-7 in SEC play.
• Texas A&M has clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament. The Aggies start the SEC Tournament at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, March 4 in the quarterfinals.
• A&M clinches a second place finish in the SEC for the second time in the past three seasons.
• Khaalia Hillsman scored in double figures for the eighth time this season and 13th time in her career. She went 8-of-11 from the field.
• Courtney Walker scored in double figures for the 20th straight game, 27th time in 28 games this season and 101st time in her career.
• Jordan Jones drew two charges, bringing her season total to 38
• Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 716-289 in his Hall of Fame career and 308-126 in 13 seasons at Texas A&M. Among Division I coaches, he is 13th all-time in career wins and eighth among active coaches in career wins.
• The Aggies finish the regular season on Sunday, February 28 at 3 p.m. on ESPN when No. 15 Kentucky visits Reed Arena for Senior Day.