COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Auburn outscored Texas A&M in the second half, but a dreadful second quarter was too much to overcome in a 71-53 Aggie win Sunday afternoon at Reed Arena.
The Tigers fought early foul trouble to all of its bigs, and Texas A&M took advantage of its size, outscoring Auburn 25-6 in the second quarter to take a 44-18 halftime lead. Auburn outscored the Aggies 35-27 in the second half, but the deficit was too large.
"The second quarter, we were without (Aicha Coulibaly)," Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris said. "We struggled to score, we struggled to guard. Things just fell apart. … I thought we came back in the second half and competed. We challenged them at halftime to just go out and compete. It's about pride at that point.
"(Texas A&M) took advantage of us not having AC in. I thought they went to work on the inside, but it was also inside-out. We came off shooters and gave them wide open shots. Second half, we attacked. We got in the paint, drew some fouls, made some jumpers in the paint. They started executing in the second half."
Despite playing limited minutes, Coulibaly led Auburn with 15 points and nine rebounds. Sania Wells added 10 points, and Honesty Scott-Grayson shook off a scoreless first half to finish with nine points and six rebounds.
A&M outshot Auburn 46 to 37 percent and controlled the boards, pulling down 41 rebounds to Auburn's 29. The Aggies also got 33 points off their bench, including a career-high 20 from post player Sydnee Roby. A&M hit six 3-pointers to Auburn's one, and the Aggies were 9-for-9 at the free-throw line while Auburn struggled at 10-of-18.
After an open date Thursday, Auburn will play the first of three straight home games Sunday, Jan. 23, when they welcome Alabama to Auburn Arena. Game time is 3 p.m. CT; fans are encouraged to arrive early for a pregame ceremony honoring Hall of Fame coach Joe Ciampi.
Auburn drops road contest at Texas A&M
