NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — College basketball championship week is in full swing with the SEC Women’s Tournament tipping off at Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, back in Music City for the first time since 2018. And Vanderbilt made sure it would stick around at least until day two with a 85-69 win over Texas A&M.
Jordyn Cambridge posted the first triple-double in school history with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. The final assist came on a pass to Brinae Alexander, who knocked down her fifth three-pointer of the afternoon in the game’s final minute to help Cambridge accomplish the feat.
Alexander finished with a team-high 23 points as Vanderbilt won its first SEC Tournament game in six seasons, advancing to a Thursday afternoon matchup with no. 5 seed Florida. The Commodores upset the Gators during the final week of the regular season.
The loss ends the storied career of Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair. The 76-year-old Blair coached for 37 seasons at Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas and Texas Tech, winning 852 games and the 2011 national championship with the Aggies. Unfortunately, his final season was not one of his finest. The loss means the Aggies finished 14-15, just the second time in Blair’s career he coached a losing team.
ALABAMA 75, AUBURN 68
Megan Abrams led Alabama with 25 points as the Crimson Tide beat rival Auburn to advance to the second round and a matchup with no. 24 Georgia Friday night.
OVC TOURNAMENT
Tennessee State opened the OVC Tournament with a 77-62 win over SIUE. The Tigers led by 14 at the half and cruised from there.
Shakem Johnson led the way for Penny Collins’ team with a double-double, recording 22 points and 11 rebounds. Carlos Marshall Jr. had 14 off the bench for the Tigers, who will now meet no. 4 seed SEMO Thursday night in Evansville with a chance to face top seed Murray State in Friday’s semifinals on the line.
The TSU women’s team also won at the OVC Tournament Wednesday. Tatyana Davis had 19 points as the eighth-seeded Tigers upset Eastern Illinois 72-61.
