GREENVILLE, SC (AP) Mikayla Coombs set the season’s record with 14 points, including the green basket in the fourth period, and No. 16 Georgia reached its first SEC tournament final in 17 years with a 74-68 win over the 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 SEC regular season champion Aggies (23-2) winning league titles.
Coombs, the transfer from UConn who missed out last season, scored six points in the last quarter to ignite the Bulldogs (20-5). Her jump to the start of the fourth period gave Georgia the lead forever and she added another driving tray moments later.
By the time Coombs fired through the defense for another internal shot, Georgia was 59-53 and would not be caught.
Georgia, who won number 17 in Kentucky in Friday’s quarterfinals, will face another ranked opponent in Sunday’s final, seventh in South Carolina or fourteenth in Tennessee.
Texas A&M shook Sunday’s joyous celebration of the SEC’s regular season title to kick off in the league tournament with a 77-58 victory over LSU.
But the Aggies were inconsistent against Georgia, falling behind by 25-13 in the first quarter before recovering to 35-32 in the interval.
Texas A&M seemed to have taken control in the third quarter with an 8-0 that put them ahead 46-41. It was then that Coombs, a six-foot-five junior, lightning fast, started to work.
His tray placed Georgia in a 47-46 streak when the lead changed hands five times, the last after another Coombs move.
Texas A&M closed at 59-55 in the last five minutes, but 3 consecutive points from Que Morrison and Caldwell put things out of reach.
N’dea Jones led the Aggies with 16 points.
Aaliyah Wilson, Aggies’ top scorer this season, struggled to find her chance at the tournament. She was a combination of 5 out of 18 on the field for 13 points in the two games here.
THE GREAT IMAGE
Georgia: Bulldogs have been pursuing their first SEC tournament title since 2001, when SEC Network analyst Andy Landers was their coach. O won both meetings with Tennessee this season and kept things closed in the 62-50 loss to the Gamecocks.
Texas A&M: The Aggies struggled to find a consistent marker, while Wilson struggled. Alexis Morris, from the Rutgers transfer, since that Friday off the bench with 13 points in eight minutes. This time, Morris scored just 2 of 8, although his 11 points came mainly from the foul line.
NEXT
Georgia will play 7th place in South Carolina or 14th Tennessee for the SEC tournament championship.
Texas A&M is expected to be number 1 in the NCAA tournament.
POST-GAME NOTES
RECORDS AND SERIAL NOTES
· Texas A&M concludes the SEC 1-1 tournament and is now 23-2 in the season.
· Georgia improves to 20-5 in the year.
· Aggies maintain a 9-4 lead over Lady Bulldogs in the series of all time.
TEAM NOTES
· A&M ran a 12-0 streak at the start of the second quarter to tie the game at 25-25.
· Maroon & White overcame Georgia 22-7 in the second half to lead 35-32 at halftime.
· Offensively, the Aggies hit 41% with nine assists in 25 baskets made.
· The Aggies capitalized on the Georgia turns, beating Lady Bulldogs by 20-7 on turning points.
· A&M won the turnover battle by a margin of 16 to 12.
· At the perimeter, the Aggies stole eight thefts compared to four in Georgia.
· Texas A&M started its 25th consecutive game with a lineup by Aaliyah Wilson, Jordan Nixon, Kayla Wells, N’dea Jones and Ciera Johnson.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
· N’dea Jones led the way to Texas A&M in points, scoring 16 with six additional rebounds. This was Jones’ 17th performance with double digits this season and the 46th of his career.
· The Lawrenceville, Georgia native eliminated the top three blocks of the season. His record for the previous season was two, set on February 28 against then number. 5 South Carolina.
· Jones drew three charges in Saturday’s semi-final clash.
· Jordan Nixon finished with 14 points from 6 out of 10 shots in 26 minutes of play. She reached double-digit points for the 11th time this season and the 12th time in her career.
· Nixon has scored double digits in each of the last six games.
· Alexis Morris ended with a game drawn on four assists, which also served as a new high of the season for her in the category. His previous season record was three, the last one on December 20 against rice.
· Morris contributed 11 points helped by seven free throws, the best of the season. The junior has scored double digits six times this season and 20 times in her career.
· The Beaumont, Texas native led the team with plus-six plus / minus.
· Aaliyah Wilson finished with 11 points, scoring his 19th double-digit goal in 2020-21 and the 38th of his career.
· Gary Blair’s record goes to 836-332 overall and 428-169 at Texas A&M.
NEXT
The runner-up in Texas A&M women’s basketball awaits the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Selection Show, which will determine their selection and their opponent in the first round in this season’s bracket. The Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, March 15, at 6 pm (CT), on ESPN.
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