Auburn Tigers Secure Victory Over South Carolina Gamecocks
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — In a thrilling matchup at Auburn Arena, the Tigers edged out the South Carolina Gamecocks with a final score of 71-67 on Saturday evening, thanks in large part to a standout performance from freshman Filip Jovic. Jovic, who hails from Bosnia and Herzegovina, registered a personal best of 23 points, marking his fourth game this season with double-digit scoring.
Game Highlights
Auburn entered halftime with a narrow six-point lead and managed to maintain control throughout the second half. Key moments in the game included back-to-back dunks from Jovic and teammate Sebastian Williams-Adams, propelling the Tigers to their first double-digit lead, 60-49, about five minutes before the buzzer.
The Gamecocks responded late in the game, with Mike Sharavjamts drawing fouls for two free throws, and Kobe Knox driving to narrow the deficit to 62-57 with just 1:20 left to play. However, Auburn’s Kevin Overton answered back with a critical 3-pointer to widen their lead to 65-57, leaving only 53 seconds on the clock.
“We knew we had to keep our composure and finish strong,” said Overton after the game.
South Carolina did make a final push, closing the gap twice to within three points, the last instance occurring when Sharavjamts scored a layup with 17 seconds remaining. Following free throws from Keyshawn Hall, Meechie Johnson of USC hit a 3-pointer that brought the score to 69-67 with four seconds left. Yet, Overton nailed two free throws shortly thereafter to secure Auburn’s victory.
Player Contributions and Records
Alongside Jovic’s impressive outing, KeShawn Murphy and Williams-Adams contributed significantly, each scoring 11 points. The win improved Auburn’s record to 11-7 with a 2-3 standing in the SEC, and marked their tenth consecutive victory over South Carolina.
On the losing side, Johnson led the Gamecocks with 17 points, while Sharavjamts added 13, Knox totaled 12, and Elijah Strong chipped in 10, as South Carolina fell to 10-8 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
Game Overview
Despite an unusual start, with Auburn missing seven of their first eight attempts, they soon found their rhythm, holding a 12-8 advantage midway through the opening half. After South Carolina threatened with a 3-pointer that closed the score to 21-19, Jovic and Tahaad Pettiford managed to stretch the lead back to eight by halftime, with Auburn up 30-24.
Upcoming Games
Next games: South Carolina will host Oklahoma this Tuesday, while Auburn will travel to face Mississippi on the same day. Stay updated on AP Top 25 developments by signing up for alerts on the AP News mobile app.
