LAS VEGAS – Honesty Scott-Grayson got the most important of her 16 points with one second to play as she knocked down the game-winning free throw, leading Auburn to a 74-73 win over Colorado State at The Mirage.
In a game that saw eight ties and 18 lead changes, the Tigers (4-2) made clutch shots in the closing minutes to hold off the high-octane Rams (4-2) who entered the weekend leading the nation in 3-point shooting.
"I thought our team took our mistakes from the last game and corrected them," Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris said. "In film session and shootaround today, I thought we corrected some things. They came out with energy and with a determination. I saw growth of my team today, and that's what I wanted to see. I saw some people really step up. Really pleased with not just the win but how we won the game."
The game was delayed by 55 minutes with 4:00 to play in the fourth quarter when Auburn freshman Kharyssa Richardson suffered an injury after she hit the floor hard fighting for a loose ball. She was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
"She was alert, she was responsive to everything, so I really believe it's precautionary," Harris said.
Trailing 66-65 at the time of the delay, Auburn came back onto the court with a 6-0 run, getting buckets from Jakayla Johnson, Aicha Coulibaly and Kaitlyn Duhon to take a 71-66 lead. The Rams would tie the game at the free throw line with 21 seconds left.
Holding for a final shot, Coulibaly missed a jumper in the lane, but Scott-Grayson got the rebound and was fouled with one second to play as she attempted the putback. She made the first, missed the second, and after CSU called timeout to advance with 0.7 seconds left, Precious Johnson got a finger on the inbound pass and time expired with the Rams unable to get a shot away.
Scott-Grayson and Coulibaly led the Tigers with 16 points apiece; Coulibaly also had a team-best five assists. Richardson was the team's leading rebounder with nine. Sydney Shaw and Sania Wells scored nine points apiece.
The teams were mostly even from the floor with Auburn at 46 percent (27-59) and CSU at 47 percent (24-51). The Rams hit eight 3-pointers, but Auburn won the rebounding battle 31-25 and turned 13 CSU turnovers into 12 points.
McKenna Hofschild led Colorado State with 21 points, and Sydney Mech added 15.
Auburn will be back in action at home Wednesday with a matinee against Little Rock. Tip is set for noon CT at Neville Arena.
Auburn wins back-and-forth battle with Colorado State 74-73
