ATHENS, Ga. – Auburn's Unique Thompson led all scorers with 22 points, but a big Georgia run to end the third quarter put the game out of reach as the Tigers fell 74-54 Thursday night at Stegeman Coliseum.
"That run (in the third quarter) really hurt us," Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy said. "With a team like Georgia, you've got to keep it close. You can't let it get into the 15- or 20-point range. That's really tough to come back from. There were a few times we just let them get away. We'd cut it to 10, then we give up a 3. That just hurts, it drains you. It takes a lot out of you. I thought Unique held it down for us and kept us in the game, as close as it could be."
Thompson finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season and 55th of her career. She also added a team-high four steals. Thompson topped the 1,100-rebound mark for her career and now has 1,103; she is 15 shy of the Auburn career record of 1,118 held by Becky Jackson. Her next double-double will tie her with former Georgia star Katrina McClain for 11th in SEC history.
Honesty Scott-Grayson shook off a slow start to finish with 12 points; she also had three rebounds. Keya Patton and Aicha Coulibaly had eight points apiece. Kira Lowery moved back into the starting lineup at point guard and led the Tigers with four assists.
The Tigers forced Georgia into 28 turnovers, the most by an Auburn opponent this season, converting those into 21 points. But it was another rough shooting night for the Tigers as Auburn finished 18-of-64 (28%) from the floor and made just 2-of-11 3-point attempts. Georgia shot 47 percent (27-58) and controlled the boards, out-rebounding Auburn 54-31.
Thompson had 15 of Auburn's 27 first-half points as Georgia led 38-27 at the break. Georgia opened up a 16-point lead early in the third quarter, but an 8-2 Auburn run cut the deficit to 10 at 45-35. From there, though, Auburn made just one basket over the next six minutes and Georgia extended their lead to 20 by the end of the third.
Four players scored in double figures for Georgia, led by Que Morrison with 14. Maya Caldwell added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Tigers return to Auburn Arena Sunday afternoon to host rival Alabama at 5 p.m. CT. It's Auburn's annual Pink Game for breast cancer awareness, and fans are encouraged to wear pink. Tickets are available at AUBTix.com.
