Bruce on SC win

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al.com

3 takeaways as Auburn blows out South Carolina again, advances to SEC semis

Published: Mar. 15, 2024, 4:47 p.m.

5–6 minutes

AUBURN, AL - MARCH 15 - Auburn's K.D. Johnson (0) during the game between the #12 Auburn Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Neville Arena in Auburn, AL on Friday, March 15, 2024. Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn TigersZach Bland/Auburn Tigers

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl has talked often this season about how much matchups can matter for a team that has had a double-digit margin in each of its wins. And maybe there’s just something about that South Carolina matchup that Auburn can’t get enough of.

Auburn blew out South Carolina again on Friday in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in Nashville, winning 86-55. It beat South Carolina by 40 on Valentine’s Day at Neville Arena, the only previous matchup this season.

Now with a 25-7 overall record, Auburn will advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals and face No. 9 seed Mississippi State, which upset No. 1 seed Tennessee (more on that below).

All of Auburn’s 10 main rotational players scored. Johni Broome led them with 18. Auburn held South Carolina below 30% from the field in a dominant defensive effort.

Here are three takeaways.

Auburn gets a rubber match against Mississippi State

The upset of the day happened before Auburn took the floor. Auburn’s assistant coaches sat in their courtside scouting seats probably expecting to work on cutting film of Tennessee and then No. 9 seed Mississippi State totally bullied the SEC champion.

Mississippi State beat Tennessee 73-56 in the first game Friday, advancing to the semifinals and now setting up a matchup with Auburn. It’s a stunning turnaround for Mississippi State which lost its final four games of the regular season.

Auburn and Mississippi State split the season series. Mississippi State won on Jan. 27 in Starkville and Auburn won on March 2 at Neville Arena.

With wins over LSU and Tennessee this week, Mississippi State has all but locked up a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and will essentially have nothing to lose in tomorrow’s game.

Mississippi State’s defense was dominant against Tennessee, holding the top-seeded team to 19-for-62 shooting. It’s the same defense that held Auburn to 58 points in Starkville, the lowest point total Auburn has had in a game this season.

So what’s this all mean for Auburn’s NCAA Tournament resume?

Well for now at least, Auburn just got its second Quad 1 win. South Carolina entered the day 48th in the NET rankings, meaning a win over a top 50 team on a neutral floor.

For now at least, Auburn is 2-7 against Quad 1 teams this season. The wins are over Alabama and South Carolina.

Problem would be, well, is that still going to be a Quad 1 win when Auburn wakes up Saturday morning? It might not be.

Despite Mississippi State beating Tennessee, Auburn can still get a Quad 1 win tomorrow. Mississippi State was already top 50 in the NET before beating Tennessee. The Bulldogs will take a jump up by tomorrow morning, and likely be a much more comfortable Quad 1 opportunity for Auburn, should it manage to win that game too.

The flip side of that with regard to Auburn’s resume which does not have a bad loss but lacks big wins, is that Auburn will not face Tennessee and have a chance to add its biggest win yet. Auburn lost to Tennessee in Knoxville by eight points.

A win over Mississippi State, should Auburn get it, does not do the same thing for Auburn’s resume that playing Tennessee could have.

But Auburn’s spot as a No. 4 seed or better in the NCAA Tournament seems all but secure.

Auburn wins first SEC Tournament game since 2019

It’s been a weird ride for Auburn in this tournament since it won the championship in 2019.

The 2020 tournament never happened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Auburn didn’t play in the 2021 edition due to a self-imposed postseason ban. Auburn won the SEC regular season title in 2022 but was eliminated in its first game by No. 8 seed Texas A&M — essentially what happened to Tennessee this afternoon. And in 2023, No. 7 seed Auburn lost its first game, beaten by No. 10 seed Arkansas.

With its win Friday, Auburn ends that streak.

This is thus Auburn’s first trip to the SEC Tournament semifinals since it won the title in 2019. Auburn’s last time in the semifinals before that was in 2015. It’s not exactly a tournament that has been kind to Auburn over the years.

Matt Cohen covers sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,676]

No player on this team has had a SECT win with Auburn...unbelievable honestly. Glad they finally broke the streak

[thewhiz7 273]

Beating SC today was a Q1 win right? Surely they are a top 50 team.