Auburn pulls away from Vandy for first-round win
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Unique Thompson and Daisa Alexander powered a 17-2 fourth-quarter run and Auburn beat Vanderbilt 7767 in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Wednesday.
Thompson was 9-of-12 shooting and finished with 21 points and nine rebounds and Alexander scored 19 and had nine assists. Erin Howard added 15 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers, for Auburn (11-17). The No. 13 seed Tigers play No. 5 seed and 25thranked Arkansas in the second round Thursday.
Thompson and Alexander, who combined for 25 second-half points, each scored six — and Howard hit a 3 — as Auburn held the Commodores scoreless for more than 5 1/2 minutes in the decisive run. Vanderbilt (14-16) missed just three shots during that stretch but committed seven turnovers which the Tigers converted into 11 points.
Auburn finished with 31 points off 25 Commodores turnovers.
Koi Love scored a career-high 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting for Vanderbilt. The freshman added seven rebounds and a season-high tying seven assists.
Blackwell, Missouri women beat Ole Miss
Aijha Blackwell scored 16 points and Missouri beat Mississippi 64-53 in the Southeastern Conference
tournament Wednesday.
The No. 11 seed Tigers play sixth-seeded Tennessee in the second round Thursday. The Lady Vols won the only regular-season matchup between the teams 77-66.
Amber Smith hit a 3-pointer and Nadia Green made 1 of 2 free throws and then a layup to make it 34-24 at
the end of the second quarter. Missouri (9-21) scored 14 of the first 16 secondhalf points to make it 4826 when Haley Troup hit a 3-pointer.
Mimi Reid had 15 points, five rebounds, seven assists and a career-high four steals for the 14th-seeded Rebels (7-23). Ole Miss has lost 17 in row, tied with Evansville
for the second-longest active streak.
Reid made a layup to pull the Rebels within four with 2:22 left in the first half but they missed their next 11 field-goal attempts before Jayla Alexander hit a jumper with 4:57 left in the third. Missouri made 9 of 10 from the field during that span.