No. 12 Auburn routs No. 15 South Carolina to advance in SEC Tournament

NASHVILLE – It wasn’t Neville Space, nonetheless it sure felt choose it inside Bridgestone Space on Friday as No. 12 Auburn cruised to an 86-55 victory over No. 15 South Carolina in entrance of a strong contingent of Auburn followers inside the quarterfinals of the SEC Occasion. 

The 31-point victory was Auburn’s fifth win by a minimal of 30 elements this season and one stage shy of this method’s largest SEC Occasion win all-time. 

A kind of 30-point victories received right here in direction of this equivalent South Carolina workforce once more in February. The Tigers reached 100 elements in that matchup, profitable 101-61. In Friday’s rematch, it was the safety that stepped up and made the most important impression as Auburn held the Gamecocks to solely 55 elements on 28 p.c taking footage from the sphere (16-of-57) whereas outscoring them 42-22 in elements inside the paint.

“In yesterday’s (SEC Occasion) recreation, they scored 50 elements inside the paint. We knew we is not going to win like that,” Auburn massive man Johni Broome talked about. “Our entrance line takes pleasure in our safety. As you can see, on the defensive aspect, we held our private and stood our ground.”

“We’re constructed just a little bit otherwise,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl talked about. “I really feel Dylan (Cardwell) and Johni, Chaney (Johnson) and J-Will (Jaylin Williams) are all older they often’re all larger, they often’re eager to be bodily.”

Broome set the tone offensively and defensively for the Tigers. The First Group All-SEC selection accomplished with 18 elements and 10 rebounds. It was his twenty third straight recreation in double figures and his twelfth double-double of the season – tops inside the conference. 

Midway through the second half, Broome confirmed his range by flattening a pair of 3-pointers all through a 13-4 Auburn run that pushed the lead to 32. 

“Coach (Pearl) on a regular basis tells us now’s the time to go on a run, make footage,” Broome talked about. “That’s the manner you advance inside the match, inside the NCAA match, the way in which you win video video games. I really feel everybody has been taking pleasure in what he talked about because of we went through just a little bit taking footage stoop mid-season. I merely credit score rating all my teammates for being inside the health heart. 

“Like Chaney (Johnson) talked about, stepping updated when the second’s getting massive.”

Johnson stepped up Friday too with 11 elements off the bench. 5 of those 11 elements received right here late inside the first half when South Carolina reduce the lead to 10, and Johnson responded with 5 straight to ignite an 11-0 run and offers the Tigers a 46-26 edge on the break. 

It was merely the third double-figure scoring recreation of the season for the UAH change who added three rebounds, three assists and two blocks in what was his first SEC Occasion recreation. 

Broome, Johnson and Okay.D. Johnson (10 elements) had been the one Auburn players to achieve in double figures in direction of South Carolina, nonetheless 11 utterly totally different players scored inside the recreation. 

“Must you knowledgeable me we might have 10 guys score and that Jaylin Williams would solely have three, I may be just a little bit concerned,” Pearl joked after the game. 

“As soon as extra, there could possibly be loads of guys that had been Second Group All-Conference and a fifth-year senior that solely purchased two footage, they often’d be all upset in that locker room. You’d not at all know it from Jaylin Williams. He’s keen about profitable. He doesn’t care. He was utterly joyful that Chaney Johnson received right here in there and did what Chaney did.”

Newcomers Johnson (11), Aden Holloway (9), Chad Baker-Mazara (8) and Denver Jones (7) blended to achieve 35 elements of their SEC Occasion debuts. Tre Donaldson led the Tigers with 4 assists whereas Dylan Cardwell blocked a team-high 4 footage. 

“The deeper we are going to go in a match, the additional profit it is for us on account of our depth,” Pearl talked about. “The trouble, vitality, the unselfishness it requires to play that powerful.”

With the win, Auburn superior to the SEC Occasion semifinals for the 14th time in program historic previous and the third time under Pearl (2015, 2019, 2024). The Tigers will play Mississippi State inside the first semifinal Saturday with tipoff set for noon CT. 

SOUTH CAROLINA POSTGAME NOTES

» Auburn gained its twenty fifth recreation of the season with its 86-55 victory over South Carolina inside the SEC Occasion quarterfinals. With the win, the Tigers superior to the SEC Occasion semifinals for the 14th time in program historic previous and the third time under head coach Bruce Pearl (2015 and 2019).

» AU’s 25 wins are tied for fifth-most in program historic previous. This season is the fifth time inside the ultimate seven seasons Auburn has gained a minimal of 25 video video games. The Tigers gained their fourth straight recreation after profitable their ultimate three video video games inside the widespread season, making this the second time this season they’ve gained a minimal of 4 straight video video games over SEC opponents after profitable their first 5 video video games to open SEC play.

» With the win, Auburn now leads 32-19 inside the all-time sequence in direction of South Carolina. The Tigers have now gained eight straight video video games over the Gamecocks, the ultimate seven of those by double digits, along with a 101-61 victory over then No. 11 South Carolina on Feb. 14 at Neville Space – AU’s largest margin of victory all-time over a ranked opponent. The Tigers in the meanwhile are 4-1 in SEC Occasion video video games versus the Gamecocks.

» Head Coach Bruce Pearl is 22-6 in direction of South Carolina along with 10-4 at Auburn. He is 3-1 in direction of the Gamecocks in video video games carried out at neutral web sites along with a 73-64 victory inside the 2019 SEC Occasion quarterfinals as a result of the Tigers gained their first SEC Occasion title since 1985 (second in program historic previous). 

» Pearl is 3-0 in direction of second-year Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris with Auburn’s 81-66 at South Carolina ultimate season and the Tigers’ 101-61 victory over the Gamecocks this season.

» Auburn improves to 31-40 (.437) inside the SEC Occasion since its renewal in 1979. Complete, the Tigers in the meanwhile are 35-57 (.380) inside the match. 

» Auburn is now 8-6 in eight SEC Occasion appearances under Coach Pearl.

» The Tigers’ 86-55 win over South Carolina is the workforce’s fifth win by a minimal of 30 elements this season and a workforce SEC-best 14th win by 20-plus elements. The 31-point win was one stage shy of Auburn’s largest SEC Occasion win of all-time (93-61 over Alabama in 1999). The Tigers have gained their two video video games in direction of South Carolina this season by a imply margin of 35.5 elements, after beating the Gamecocks, 101-61 (+40) on Feb. 14 at Neville Space.

» Auburn led South Carolina, 46-26, at halftime. It was the sixth time this season the Tigers have led by a minimal of 20 elements on the half along with every video video games in direction of the Gamecocks after holding a 50-28 halftime lead in direction of them in every teams’ regular-season matchup. The Tigers are 24-1 when most important at halftime this season. They’ve gained 24 straight video video games when most important at half after a season-opening loss to Baylor.

» Auburn has topped the 80-point mark in every video video games in direction of South Carolina this season averaging 93.5 elements per recreation in direction of the Gamecocks. It was the one two events South Carolina has allowed 80 elements in regulation this season.

» Auburn is 32-64 (.333) all-time when having fun with inside the metropolis of Nashville along with 2-0 this season after profitable 80-65 at Vanderbilt on Jan. 17. The Tigers are 11-10 in SEC Occasion video video games inside the Music Metropolis (19-52 at Vanderbilt, 1-0 vs. Dartmouth, 1-0 vs. Saint Louis, 0-1 vs. Middle Tennessee and 0-1 vs. Western Kentucky in Nashville).

» Coach Pearl is 17-7 in his instructing career at Bridgestone Space along with 8-5 at Auburn. Pearl is 10-6 on the situation inside the SEC Occasion and 8-4 at Auburn.

» Auburn is 15-16 in 17 SEC Occasion appearances inside the state of Tennessee. The Tigers are 2-4 in 4 SEC Occasion appearances in Knoxville, 2-2 in two SEC Occasion appearances in Memphis and 11-10 in 11 SEC Occasion appearances in Nashville.

» Auburn devoted merely 5 turnovers in its win over South Carolina. It was the twelfth time this season the Tigers have devoted single-digit turnovers along with the sixth time in direction of an SEC opponent. Auburn averaged merely 6.0 turnovers in two wins over South Carolina this season.

» It was moreover the third time the Tigers have devoted no more than 5 turnovers in a recreation this season (tied school report with 3 turnovers vs. Indiana and had 5 turnovers vs. Alabama).

» Auburn scored 41 bench elements, which was the ninth time this season the Tigers have scored a minimal of 40 bench elements and the fourth time in direction of an SEC opponent. AU outscored South Carolina, 80-17, in bench elements in two video video games this season. Eleven players scored for Auburn in Friday’s quarterfinal win.

» Auburn positioned three players in double figures in its win over South Carolina led by Johni Broome’s 18 elements and 10 rebounds. It was his SEC-leading twelfth double-double of the season and the 58th of his career. It was Broome’s twenty third straight recreation in double figures, a span whereby he’s averaging 16.8 elements, 8.5 rebounds and taking footage 53.8 p.c from the bottom.

» Chaney Johnson received right here off the bench and scored 11 elements on 4-of-8 from the sphere in direction of the Gamecocks. He moreover added three rebounds, three assists and two blocks. It was Johnson’s third double-figure scoring recreation of the season, the seventieth of his career, and the second in SEC play this season (16 elements at Georgia).

» Okay.D. Johnson chipped in 10 elements on 4-of-7 taking footage from the bottom and 2-of-3 from prolonged range and matched his season extreme with 5 rebounds. It was Johnson’s ninth recreation in double figures this season and the sixtieth of his career.