Chantel Hilliard’s knee injury Sunday looked much more gruesome than it actually was.
An MRI on Monday revealed that Hilliard did not suffer a tear in her left knee during Auburn’s 65-59 victory over Georgia, an Auburn spokesman confirmed. The Auburn training staff would not divulge the nature of her injury, but it is not expected to be season-ending.
The Biloxi, Miss., native is listed as questionable for Sunday’s regular-season finale against Arkansas at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.
The news was certainly outstanding for the Tigers, who dress just 10 players, regularly play eight and have been short on depth since
Jordan Greenleaf went down with a torn ACL in December.
“She is not out of the woods yet as far as playing with the team,” coach Nell Fortner said. “It was good to hear that there was no tear or anything and we are excited to have her back as soon as she can join us.”
Hilliard went down late in the action Sunday during a Georgia possession where bodies were seemingly flying all over the court.
One of the few players standing at that moment, Hilliard went down when an unknown player rolled into her left knee.
She was in obvious pain, as she slammed her right leg up and down while receiving attention from Auburn’s medical staff. She was promptly carried off the floor, her head buried in the shoulder of a staff member.
Hilliard has emerged as a reliable option off the Tigers’ bench since the midway point of the conference season.
She averages just 3.3 points per game, but has gained more confidence from Fortner of late. She had 8 points in an SEC-high 21 minutes Sunday before she went down with her injury.
“She came up big for us,” senior DeWanna Bonner said.
In the Tigers’ past seven games, Hilliard averaged more than 15 minutes per game. In the first six conference games, she averaged less than three.
“I thought she was outstanding tonight,” Fortner said Sunday. “I thought she was a huge difference maker for us. I think she gives us a glimpse of what she is capable of in the future.”
Tigers drop to 7th
In other news, voters of the Associated Press dropped Auburn four spots to No. 7 in the newest poll, which was released Monday.
The Tigers (26-2, 11-2) had their five-game winning streak snapped Thursday at Vanderbilt. Three teams ahead of Auburn (Stanford, Maryland and Baylor) have four losses.
agribble@oanow.com | 334-737-2561
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