The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the third quarter at Auburn Arena on Sunday afternoon. Senior guard Janiah McKay looked up at the score board. After suffering a 10-0 run, the Tigers found themselves down 43-30 to Georgia.
The Tigers lightning-quick defense had generated 21 steals to that point, and it still wasn’t enough to the scoring force that was Bulldogs senior forward Caliya Robinson.
In just three quarters Robinson had notched herself a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. She would finish the game with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
IThe Tigers refused to give up. The fourth quarter began, and Auburn clamped down on its full-court press.
“We believe in our press," McKay said. "There was never a point in the game that I believed we would lose.”
From this press the Tigers were able to poke out six steals in the fourth quarter, all of which were turned into points. At this point the Dawgs couldn’t stop the bleeding.
Auburn women’s hoops rallied to overcome a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit against Georgia to win the game in overtime, 59-58, at Auburn Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Georgia put Auburn in the bonus after getting into foul trouble early on. Every time the Tigers got the ball to junior guard Crystal Primm, who would find the free-throw line.
“We knew we could rely on our defense to generate our offense,” McKay said. “As long as we believe in that our offense will take care of itself, and when both of those come together were a force to be reckoned with.”
The Tigers offense was reinvigorated after Primm knocked down clutch free throw after clutch free throw. Coming down the stretch Auburn had closed the gap on Georgia. In the final 30 seconds of regulation Primm found herself on the line again.
However, with the score at 47-49, this time it was up to her to send this game into overtime.
Prim walked up to the line, dribbled twice, bended and released. Swish.
It was 48-49 once more and the Tigers were headed to overtime.
Overtime for Auburn was no different. The Tigers stuck to their press and ultimately it would come down to Primm at the line again — only this time if she hit both of her shots, in those final seconds.
Auburn beat Georgia for the first time in four years, securing its first SEC home win of the season.
“You have to make it,” Primm said. “The word 'miss' was not going through my head when I was going up there.”
Primm would finish the night 8-for-10 on her free-throws.
“We had to fight as soon as the game started and all the way into overtime,” said Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy. “I am very proud of this team for continuing to hang in there and pulling out this win.”
For the Tigers, this win meant more than just snapping a losing streak. The win put Auburn above .500 in SEC play for the first time this
“We had to remove ourselves from the rest of the 4-4 teams in the SEC,” Williams-Flournoy said.
The Tigers will be staying home on Thursday to take on No. 12 Kentucky at 6 p.m. CST
“Kentucky is a very good team, but we will be ready,” Williams-Flournoy said.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
