Texas A&M women's basketball team battled until the final buzzer sounded, but eventually fell in a heartbreaking 50-49 first-round matchup against the Auburn Tigers .
It was a back-and-forth battle through the entire contest, as neither team showed any signs of backing down. Auburn's gritty play proved to be difficult for Texas A&M to overcome in the final minutes, but with less than 30 seconds remaining, the Aggies took back the lead after knocking down two free throws. The Tigers immediately responded with a dominant game-sealing layup at the other end to snatch the lead away from Joni Taylor's squad and close out the first round of the SEC Tournament with a win over the No. 10-seed Aggies .
Texas A&M struggled at the free-throw line, shooting just 54% compared to the Tigers' 73%. Auburn's physicality in the paint was a massive mismatch for Texas A&M, as the Tigers scored 28 points inside and recorded six blocks and seven steals.
Starting guard Ny'Ceara Pryor had another excellent outing, as she led the team with 25 points, while also securing four assists and two turnovers in 38 minutes on the court. Pryor's performance against Auburn marks the ninth contest with 20-plus points this season for the senior from Baltimore, Maryland. No other Texas A&M player was able to reach double-digits in the first-round loss.
Texas A&M needed to win a game or two to feel more secure about its odds of reaching March Madness, but that could be in jeopardy after the upset-loss in Greenville, South Carolina, on Wednesday evening. Following the loss, the Maroon and White will now await the NCAA Tournament Selection Show to see if the program will compete in March Madness for the first time since the 2023-2024 campaign.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M women's basketball eliminated by Auburn in SEC Tournament
