Late rally falls short as South Carolina drops 71-67 decision at Auburn

South Carolina basketball was one defensive stop away from a signature road win Saturday night, but a late comeback fell short in a 71-67 loss to Auburn at Neville Arena. Despite holding the Tigers to just 10.5% shooting from three-point range, the Gamecocks could not overcome a career night from Auburn reserve Filip Jovic, dropping to 10-8 overall and 1-4 in SEC play.

The Gamecocks made it a grind from the opening tip. Auburn entered the night as one of the league’s more efficient offenses, but South Carolina’s pressure and physicality turned the game into a rock fight. The Tigers managed just 2-for-19 shooting from three-point range (10.5%), their worst performance from deep this season. The problem for South Carolina was one player it couldn’t solve.

Reserve forward Filip Jovic delivered a career night, scoring 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting, repeatedly punishing the Gamecocks inside when Auburn’s perimeter game collapsed. Still, South Carolina kept pushing.

Midway through the second half, Mike Sharavjamts sliced through the defense for a layup that trimmed Auburn’s lead to 51-48 with 8:57 left on the clock, putting the Gamecocks in prime position to take control. However, Auburn responded with a 9-1 run, capped off by a Jovic dunk inside of five minutes that stretch that margin to 60-49. That stretch, just a handful of possessions, ultimately decided the game.

But South Carolina was not going down without a fight. With four seconds left, Meechie Johnson drilled a deep three to pull the Gamecocks within 69-67, giving them a final sliver of hope. But Auburn’s Kevin Overton knocked down two free throws, closing the door on what nearly became a signature road comeback.

The frustrating part for South Carolina is how narrow the margin was. The Gamecocks held Auburn to 41.1% shooting overall, forced leading scorer Keyshawn Hall into foul trouble, and turned the game into exactly the kind of low efficiency battle they needed. They just couldn’t fully capitalize.

Johnson led South Carolina with 17 points, six assists, and five rebounds, though he had to work for every look (6-for-17 shooting). Sharavjamts added 13 points and five rebounds, while Kobe Knox narrowly missed a double-double with 12 points and nine boards. Elijah Strong chipped in 10 points. South Carolina finished at 39.7% from the field, and in a game where possessions were scarce and clean looks were rare, the Gamecocks simply ran out of time.