Jan. 7, 2018
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AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn got 25 points from Janiah McKay and 22 from Unique Thompson, but No. 19 Texas A&M had its second-best shooting game of the season in an 82-73 Aggie win at Auburn Arena.
The Tigers (10-5, 1-2 SEC) dropped their second straight SEC game to a nationally ranked foe as Texas A&M (13-4, 2-1) shot 55.8 percent from the field (29-of-52), their second-best outing of the season, and handed Auburn its first home loss of the year.
"We can't give them 82 points," Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. "That's definitely not the way we play defense, and we'll never win a basketball game allowing a team to score 82 points on us.
"We knew when we attacked, we could get to the free-throw line. We went 16-for-16 at the free-throw line. We did some good things. We had 16 assists and we only turned the ball over nine times. (But) we sent them to the free-throw line 34 times. We go 34 times, and we win."
Auburn set a new school record at the free-throw line for most makes without a miss, hitting 16-of-16 attempts in the game. Going back to the Tennessee game, the Tigers have made 19 consecutive free throws.
McKay also tied a school record at the charity stripe, hitting 11-of-11 attempts to become the fourth player in Auburn history with that line. She joins Conswella Sparrow (1998 vs. Georgia), Lori Nero (2000 vs. Southwest Missouri State) and Sherell Hobbs (2009 vs. Stephen F. Austin) as the only Auburn players to go 11-for-11 at the free throw line. She finished the game with 25 points and matched a season-high with nine assists.
Thompson had her best outing in SEC play, hitting 11-of-15 attempts from the field to finish with 22 points. She tied for the team lead with nine rebounds, along with senior Jazmine Jones. Sophomore Daisa Alexander added 17 points and four assists.
The Tigers forced a season-low 18 turnovers; however, that was one shy of Texas A&M's season high. Auburn turned those turnovers into 25 points. The Tigers, meanwhile, had just nine turnovers of their own, the second time in three games with single-digit turnovers.
Sunday's game saw the lead change hands six times with the Aggies claiming a three-point lead at halftime. Auburn would tie it up twice in the third quarter and keep it at three points at 56-53 headed to the fourth quarter.
But A&M opened the fourth quarter on an 11-2 run, pulling ahead by as many as 14. Auburn answered with a 9-0 run to cut the lead to five points at 69-64, but the Aggies put the game away at the free-throw line late. A&M hit 23-of-34 free-throw attempts in the game.
Texas A&M out-rebounded Auburn 40-29 and outscored the Tigers in the paint 42-36. The Tigers had 14 offensive rebounds, but could only turn those into six second-chance points.
Khaalia Hillsman led the Aggies with a career-high 31 points and added 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Freshman Chennedy Carter added 22 points.
Auburn plays its third straight nationally ranked opponent Thursday night when the Tigers travel to Columbia, S.C., to face No. 4 South Carolina. Game time is 6 p.m. CT at Colonial Life Arena.