Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop sophomore Aliyah Kilpatrick connected on four free throws in the final 18 seconds and Schaquilla Nunn blocked the game-tying shot attempt at the buzzer to give the Eagles a 56-54 win over Auburn on Saturday in the first meeting between the two schools.

The victory was just the second for Winthrop (3-2) over a Southeastern Conference school since the school became an NCAA member.  The Eagles are now 2-9 against SEC competition since 1986 and are 20-17 all-time going back to the AIAW years.

Kilpatrick led all scorers in the game with 16 points while Nunn was the leading rebounder with 10.  Samiya Wright added 11 points for the Eagles.  Auburn was led by Tra'Cee Tanner and Brandy Montgomery with 11 points each while Khady Dieng finished with 10.

"It was an outstanding team victory," said Winthrop head coach Kevin Cook. "We executed our game plan, and we had the long arm of the law in Schaquilla Nunn who came up with the key block and we had Miss Ice-In-Her-Veins Aliyah Kilpatrick who hit the clutch free throws."

Winthrop trailed 54-49 with 2:45 left in the game following a 3-pointer by Auburn's Katie Frerking, but Eagle senior Wright nailed a trey with 1:50 left to make it a 54-52 lead to set up the exciting finish.

Auburn had a chance to take a two possession lead with 38 seconds left, but a jumper by Montgomery was off the mark and Kilpatrick grabbed the rebound.  She was fouled on a drive to the basket with 18 ticks remaining on the clock and made both free throws to knot the game at 54-54. 

Kilpatrick then came up with a steal near mid court and was fouled with 12 seconds left.  Again she stepped to the line and made both free throws to give Winthrop the 56-54 lead. 
Auburn got the ball into the hands of Dieng in the right corner, but her 3-point attempt was blocked out of bounds by Ezinne Mbamalu with only 1.9 seconds left.  The Tigers got the ball in the lane to Hasina Muhammad, but Nunn came up with the block at the buzzer to preserve the victory.

Winthrop jumped out to an early 10-2 lead against a cold-shooting Auburn squad that made just four of its first 19 field goal attempts.  Five different players scored for Winthrop in the opening six minutes.  The lead was still eight at 20-12 with just over four minutes remaining in the first half when Erica Williams and Wright connected on back-to-back 3-pointers.

Winthrop led the entire half and took a 27-22 lead at intermission.  Auburn (3-2) came out in the second half and outscored the Eagles 15-4 to take its largest lead of the game at 37-31 with 13:31 left in the game as Tanner scored seven points in the lane and Dieng knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.

Auburn built its largest lead of six points at 37-31 with 13:31 remaining in the contest when Mbamalu made a free throw and then came up with a three-point play to cut the deficit to two points at the 12:14 mark.  Williams then knotted the score at 37 all before Kilpatrick put Winthrop back on top with a pair of free throws with just over 10 minutes left to play.

The game had three more ties and three lead changes over the next three minutes before Auburn built a five-point lead at 47-42 on another 3-pointer by Dieng with 6:11 remaining.  Again, Winthrop fought back to tie the game at 47-47 when Wright converted one of two free throws with 4:51 on the clock.

Auburn responded once again to go back up by four on a drive along the baseline by Jazmine Jones and a baby hook in the lane by Tanner.
Winthrop will be at home on Tuesday, Dec. 2 when the Eagles open Big South Conference action against Campbell.  The tip off will be at 6 p.m.  All fans that bring a new, unwrapped toy to the game will be admitted free.