Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Johni Broome scored 27 points as No. 16 Auburn won its fifth straight game, leading wire-to-wire in an 81-66 win over South Carolina on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.
Broome shot 12 of 17 from the floor and also had 11 rebounds in the victory for the Tigers (16-3, 6-1 SEC). He also created a viral highlight early in the second half, throwing down an alley-oop with his left hand.
Jaylin Williams added 12 points for Auburn, while Wendell Green Jr. chipped in 16 points and 12 assists.
South Carolina (8-11, 1-5) was powered once again by freshman GG Jackson II, who finished with 30 points on 10-of-21 shooting to go along with eight rebounds. Jackson has now scored in double digits in all but two games this season.
Meechie Johnson added 11 points, six boards and five assists for the Gamecocks.
Auburn used a 9-4 run early in the first half to take its first double-digit lead of the game at 20-9 with 8:10 to play. The Tigers closed the half with a 15-3 run, helping them take a 17-point lead into intermission. Williams had seven points on that latter run for Auburn, while Broome had six.
The Tigers opened the second half on a 12-3 run to take a 26-point lead — its largest of the game. That stretch was highlighted by Allen Flanigan’s fast-break dunk and Yohan Traore’s 3-pointer.
South Carolina cut the deficit to 10 points later in the second half following a 23-7 run but couldn’t sustain that level of play and never got any closer to tying the score.
Key for Auburn was its play inside, where it outscored South Carolina 46-20 in the paint.
Auburn also flipped 14 South Carolina turnovers into 22 points, while the Gamecocks only scored five points off Auburn’s nine turnovers. The Tigers also outscored South Carolina 27-9 on fast breaks.
Auburn returns home after a two-game road swing to face Texas A&M on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media