Women's Basketball 12/17/2014 11:33:00 PM

Auburn Edges Out Win Over SSU

Box Score

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn University held out for a 62-56 win in the final five minutes of Wednesday's nonconference matchup, despite a late surge from Savannah State that got the Lady Tigers within two points of taking down their second Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponent this year.

With 6:34 to play in the game, Auburn had a 17-point lead on the Lady Tigers. SSU sophomore Kenyata Hendrix drained a 3-pointer to kick off a 15-1 Lady Tiger run over the subsequent four minutes.

Jasmine Norman was responsible for six of the run's points. SSU's top scorer Ezinne Kalu took a break for most of the run, while Tiyonda Davis, Hendrix and Jazmin Thomas continued to put up the points.

Auburn was hanging on 55-53 with 2:12 to play, and finally found some room to score around the hard pressing Lady Tiger defense. A 5-0 run in the following minute and a half gave the home team some breathing room with a 60-53 lead, with 30 seconds to play.

Lauryn Fields drained a 3-pointer with seven seconds to play, cutting Auburn's lead to 60-56. Two good free-throws from Khady Dieng with six seconds to play set the final score.

By the numbers, it was a tale of two halves. Auburn outscored SSU 31-19 in the first half, and outrebounded the Lady Tigers 20-12. But, it was all SSU in the second half as the Lady Tigers outscored Auburn 37-31 and outrebounded them 28-14.

In the opening minutes, SSU and Auburn were neck and neck. SSU trailed 7-9 with 15:25 to play, then Auburn opened a 9-0 run over two minutes that gave them an 18-7 advantage. Kalu responded with a 6-0 run on her own that cut Auburn's lead to 18-13.

Behind some incredible athleticism that SSU had no answer for, Hasina Muhammad scored back-to-back field goals in the final two minutes of the first half, sending Auburn to the locker room with a 12-point advantage.

Auburn's bench outscored their starters 22-9 in the opening half and 38-24 for the game. The Tigers were led by Muhammad who went 6-for-9 from the field for 14 points, and Katie Frerking who tapped in 10 points.

Kalu and Norman led the Lady Tigers with 12 points each. Davis tacked on 11 of her own, and along with Norman grabbed seven rebounds.

Turnovers plagued both teams. Auburn ended with 22, while SSU committed 21 on the night. Each team had 11 steals.

The Lady Tigers were looking to extend their history making season with the second win over an SEC school. SSU downed Florida, 68-58, in Tiger Arena on December 4 for the program's first win against the storied conference.

SSU falls to 4-4 on the season. They return to the hardwood Friday, December 19 against Florida State. Tipoff in Tallahassee is set for 7 p.m. (EST). The game is set to air live on ESPN3. (Link)

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Players Mentioned

#5 Lauryn Fields: G; 5' 5"; Freshman

#2 Kenyata Hendrix: G; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#4 Jasmine Norman: G; 5' 9"; Senior

#13 Jazmin Thomas: G; 5' 8"; Senior

#23 Ezinne Kalu: G; 5' 8"; Senior

#44 Tiyonda Davis: C; 6' 2"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#5 Lauryn Fields
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: G

#2 Kenyata Hendrix
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: G

#4 Jasmine Norman
: 5' 9"; Senior
: G

#13 Jazmin Thomas
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G

#23 Ezinne Kalu
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G

#44 Tiyonda Davis
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: C