The Auburn women's basketball team's postseason run came to an end Thursday night in Starkville, Miss., where the Tigers fell 59-54 to the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the WNIT Sweet Sixteen.
Auburn (19-15, 7-9 SEC) held a 12 point lead in the opening minutes of the second half and seemed well on its way to a third win over Mississippi State this season, but the Bulldogs (22-13, 5-11 SEC) rallied to put together a 40-point second half and complete the comeback.
Junior guard Hasina Muhammad led the Tigers in scoring with 13 points while leading scorer Tyrese Tanner had just 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in her final collegiate game.
A strong defensive effort in the first half saw the Tigers jump out to a 12 point lead in the opening minutes of the first half.
Tanner picked up two early fouls and played just three minutes in the half, but Muhammad scored 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting to carry the scoring load for the Tigers.
The Tigers lead would hold their lead until the seven minute mark of the second half, when the Bulldogs got their first lead of the game at 44-43.
Turnovers were a vital component in the Bulldogs' second half comeback. Auburn turned it over 27 times as compared to Mississippi State's 17.
The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Kendra Grant, who scored 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting off the bench. Center Martha Awal contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds in the Bulldog victory.
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