George upsets No.2 A&M to reach title game

Lady Bulldogs seek 1st SEC Tournament e since 2001.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Mikayla Coombs scored a season-high 14 points, includ- ing the go-ahead basket in the fourth quarter, and No. 16 Georgia reached its first SEC Tournament final in 17 years with a 74-68 victory over No. 2 Texas A&M on Saturday.

Maya Caldwell had 17 points, and Jenna Staiti had 13 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks to deny the SEC regular-season cham- pion Aggies (23-2) a sweep of league titles.

Coombs, the UConn transfer who sat out last season, scored six points in the final quarter to ignite the Bulldogs (20-5).

Her jumper to start the fourth quarter gave Geor- gia the lead for good, and she added another driv- ing layup moments later.

By the time Coombs lashed by the defense for another inside shot, Georgia was up 59-53 and would not be caught.

Georgia, which beat No. 17 Kentucky in Friday’s quarterfinals, will have to face another ranked opponent in today’s final in either No. 7 South Carolina or No. 14 Tennessee.

Texas A&M shook off a jubilant Sunday celebration of the SEC regular-season title to start strongly at the league tournament with a 77-58 win over LSU.

But t he Ag g ies were inconsistent against Georgia, falling behind 25-13 in the opening quarter before rallying to lead 35-32 at the half.

Texas A&M looked like it had taken control in the third quarter with an 8-0 run that put them ahead 46-41.

That’s when Coombs, a lightning-quick, 5-foot-9 junior, got to work.

Her layup put Georgia up 47-46 in a sequence when the lead changed hands five times, the last on a noth e r blowby by Coombs.

Texas A&M closed to 59-55 in the final five minutes, but consecutive 3-pointers by Que Morrison and Caldwell put things out of reach.

N’dea Jones l ed the Aggies with 16 points.

Aaliyah Wilso n , the Aggies’ leading scorer this season, struggled to find her shot at the tournament. She was a combined 5 of 18 from the field for 13 points in the two games here.

The Bulldogs are seeking their first SEC Tournament title since 2001, when now SEC Network analyst Andy Landers was their coach.

They won both meetings with Tennessee this season and kept things close much of the way in a 62-50 loss to the Gamecocks.

Texas A&M is expected to be a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.