Asia Avinger scored 19 points, including four during a closing 11-2 driving, and No. 12 Seed Georgia gathered to defeat No. 13 Arkansas 79-74 in the first round of Sec Women’s Tournament Wednesday afternoon in Greenville, SC, SC
De’mauri Flournoy added 15 points, Trinity Turner scored 11 and Mia Woolfolk had 10 for Bulldogs (13-18), who will play No. 5 Oklahoma in the second round Thursday.
Izzy Higgenbottom scored 38 points to lead Razorbacks (10-22), which scored only two points in the final 3:29.
Flournoy’s field goals started an 8-3 run that got Georgia within a point early in the fourth quarter. Razorbacks rebuilt the lead to four, but consecutive baskets of Woolfolk, Avinger and Turner gave Bulldogs the lead for good, 74-72, with 2:01.
Georgia held a 24-18 edge at the end of the first quarter and got the first four points in the second quarter before Higinbottom took over. She received 18 points during a 23-9 driving that gave Razorbacks a lead of 41-37 half time.
No. 9 Tennessee 77, No. 16 Texas A & M 37
Talaysia Cooper came from the bench to record 19 points and eight returns and the volunteers overcame a slow start to dominate aggies in the first match of the tournament.
Jewel Spear and Zee Spearman added 11 points each, and Samara Spencer made 10 for Tennessee, which exceeded Texas A & M 66-24 during the last three quarters.
Sahara Jones led Texas A&M (10-19) with 16 points.
The volunteers (22-8) will meet No. 8 Vanderbilt in the second round Thursday.
Tennessee defense held aggies to 26.5 percent shooting and Texas A&M made only 1 of 15 3 points.
The volunteers forced 32 sales and undertook only seven, which led to a 37-5 advantage in points outside sales.
-Field level media
