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Home > SECWB News & More! > SEC Tournament News > South Carolina 65, Auburn 63 / Mississippi 78, Alabama 49
South Carolina 65, Auburn 63 / Mississippi 78, Alabama 49
by Charles Odum, AP Sports Writer
Posted: March 1st, 2007 @ 9:20pm
South Carolina 65, Auburn 63
March 1, 2007
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) -- South Carolina rallied from a second-half deficit of 11 points to beat Auburn 65-63 on Thursday to win the opening game of the Southeastern Conference women's tournament.
A lay-up by Ilona Burgrova with 20 seconds left gave South Carolina a 64-63 lead. The final margin was South Carolina's biggest lead of the second half.
After Burgrova's basket, DeWanna Bonner missed from 8 feet for Auburn, and the scramble for the rebound led to a jump ball with 3.6 seconds left -- giving possession to the Gamecocks.
Stacy Booker led South Carolina (17-13) with 14 points. Lakesha Tolliver had 12 points and Lauren Simms added 11 for the Gamecocks.
Bonner led Auburn (19-12) with 21 points. Keke Carrier added 14 points.
South Carolina and Auburn each posted 6-8 regular-season records in the conference.
The big lead for each team was only four points before Bonner sparked a 9-0 run with a three-point play. Auburn led 48-37 at the end of the stretch with 11 minutes left in the game.
South Carolina answered with a 17-6 run, including 8 straight points, to pull even at 54-54 with 6:07 left.
A basket by Melanie Johnson tied the game. Johnson, who had 10 points and 10 rebounds, scored again with 5:21 left to give South Carolina a 56-55 lead.
Bonner leads Auburn with her average of 15.1 points per game, but the sophomore was held scoreless in South Carolina's 70-61 win over the Tigers on Feb. 15 in Columbia, S.C. Bonner was 0-for-8 from the field.
Bonner needed only a few seconds to make sure she didn't repeat that scoreless performance in the postseason rematch. Bonner scored off the opening tipoff and had 10 points in the first half.
A basket by South Carolina's Brionna Dickerson late in the first half left the game tied at 27-27 at halftime.
Alexis Ogubie didn't play in the first half but had six points in the first seven minutes of the second half as the Tigers took a 44-37 lead.
Mississippi 78, Alabama 49
By CHARLES ODUM, AP Sports Writer
March 1, 2007
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) -- The matchup of the SEC's best and worst teams in turnover ratio produced record results.
Mississippi set a Southeastern Conference tournament record with 25 steals and Alabama topped the previous tournament high mark by committing 42 turnovers as the Rebels rolled to a 78-49 victory over the Crimson Tide on Thursday night.
Armintie Price scored 26 points as Ole Miss (21-9) advanced to Friday's quarterfinal game against Louisiana State.
Alabama (10-20) finished its season without an SEC win in the regular season or tournament.
From the start of the game, Ole Miss extended its defense, putting two or more defenders on the ball when possible.
The margin of victory would have been larger if not for poor free-throw shooting by the Rebels, who made only 12 of 27 attempts. Ole Miss committed 28 turnovers.
The Rebels, who led the SEC in the regular season with 13.4 steals per game and a plus-8.45 turnover ratio, forced 13 turnovers in the first eight minutes.
Alabama was last in the league with its minus-5.86 turnover ratio while averaging 24 turnovers per game. It saved its worst for last, setting a season high in giveaways.
The previous high mark for turnovers in an SEC tournament game was 36 by Alabama against Tennessee in 1989. The old record for steals in a game was 20 by Tennessee -- against both Florida and Auburn in the 1980 tournament.
Dedrea Magee, one of three freshman starters for Alabama, was the Tide's only scorer in double figures with 15 points.
Ashley Awkward had 11 points and Shawn Goff added 10 for Ole Miss.
Ole Miss forced 40 turnovers in an 84-43 win over Alabama on Feb. 11, and it was ahead of that pace while forcing 23 turnovers in the first half Thursday night.
Alabama managed to stay close in the first 12 minutes before wearing down under the Rebels' relentless defensive pressure.
A basket by Navonda Moore pulled Alabama to within four points at 18-14 with 8:30 left in the first half. Ole Miss then scored 14 straight points while outscoring Alabama 24-6 the rest of the half.
Price had 20 points in the first half.
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