STARKVILLE, Miss.- Victoria Vivians hit a 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining to give No. 17 Mississippi State a 63-61 overtime victory over No. 14 Texas A&M in a women’s basketball game at Humphrey Coliseum on Sunday.
Courtney Walker led the Aggies (18-6, 6-4 SEC) with season-high 25 points, and was joined in double figures by Courtney Williams, who had 14. Khaalia Hillsman was the Aggies’ leading rebounder with a career-high 13 rebounds.
Mississippi State’s Kendra Grant hit a long two-pointer to tie the game at 53 with 1:12 left in regulation, which set up A&M to have a chance to win at the end of regulation, but both of A&M’s attempts were off the mark, sending the Aggies to overtime for the first time this season.
A&M led 61-57 with 1:58 in overtime, but Mississippi State (23-3, 8-3 SEC) rallied with a Brenna Richardson layup 10 seconds later, which would eventually set up Vivian’s game-winner.
The Aggies led 40-32 with 13:43 left in the second half, but Mississippi State clawed back into the game, tying the score at 44 with 7:09 to play, in a back-and-forth game that featured 14 total lead changes.
After seven lead changes in the first seven minutes of the game, A&M went on an 8-1 run to take a 26-18 lead with 5:11 left in the first half. Mississippi State closed the deficit to 32-28 as the teams went into the locker room at halftime. Walker had 19 of her points in the first half, more than the entire Mississippi State starting five in the opening stanza.
The Aggies return home on Thursday, February 12 at 8 p.m. to host Arkansas on 12th Man Appreciation Night.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics