Auburn got a career night from Devan Cambridge and shot over 50 percent in the second half to beat South Carolina 80-67.
Auburn entered the game looking for a spark. A week ago they were undefeated and ranked #4. But after two lopsided losses, when Auburn shot 32 percent and 26 percent, they came in with significant questions. Meanwhile, South Carolina was riding high after a pair of victories.
For six minutes, both teams stuck to their storylines. Auburn started the game 1-10 shooting, and South Carolina scored eight straight to take a 10-4 lead. And then, Auburn found its spark.
Cambridge entered the game averaging just 3.1 points per game. He played just 16 minutes in the two losses, and had just four points total in five SEC games. His career high was 10 points, and he was 7-28 from three, without a make in conference play.
Cambridge was already doing well when he hit Auburn’s first three-pointer to cut South Carolina’s lead to 15-11. But then he hit three more along with a transition dunk during a 14-1 Auburn run that put Auburn ahead for good.
“Give that young man credit,” Frank Martin said. “He was on our scouting report and he was identified as a capable three point shooter, that’s the wording we used, and he put them down and because of that they got away from us.”
The Gamecocks answered and Jermaine Couisnard scored seven points during a 9-0 Gamecock run that tied the game at 29. But the Tigers finished the first half on a 10-2 run to take a 39-33 halftime lead.
South Carolina had an early 7-0 run to cut Auburn’s lead to 48-47, but then Cambridge struck again. After a pair of free throws by Danjel Purifoy, Cambridge hit a three. The teams traded baskets, and the Cambridge ended it. He scored nine points, including a putback dunk, during a 14-0 run that put Auburn up 19. From there, the game was essentially over.
Cambridge finished with 26 points on 10-14 shooting (6-9 from three) and five rebounds in just 21 minutes, all career highs. As a team, Auburn broke out of its shooting slump, shooting 46 percent for the game, including 52 percent in the second half. It went 10-27 from three, and 5-11 in the second half.
“We couldn’t keep them in front,” Martin said. “We tried going zone a couple of times and we were even worse in zone.”
Couisnard led South Carolina with 16 points, and the Gamecocks shot 48 percent, but there were some familiar shortcomings. Aside from leaving too many Auburn shooters open, South Carolina didn’t shoot well from three, going 6-21. The Gamecocks rebounded well early, but Auburn turned the tables and won the glass in the second half, finishing plus-four. And free throws continue to be a problem for South Carolina. Not only was South Carolina just 3-9 from the line, but Auburn was 18-21 from the foul line.
Justin Minaya added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Gamecocks. AJ Lawson had 11 points and four rebounds, and Maik Kotsar had six points and team-highs of eight rebounds and five assists.
But the Gamecocks were without starter Keyshawn Bryant (head) and reserve Trae Hannibal (ankle). The loss of Bryant in particular hurt the Gamecocks. An athletic open court player and rangy defender, Bryant seems like an ideal fit against Auburn.
Notes:
South Carolina actually scored the final seven points, after Auburn had the win in hand, adding to the streaky nature of the game. … Wildens Leveque got the start in place of Bryant. Leveque was effective early with a basket, a block, a rebound, and charge drawn in the first three minutes. He finished with four points, three rebounds, three steals and a block in 13 minutes. … Jair Bolden had ten points off the bench. … Over the last two games, South Carolina is 10-17 from the foul line, while opponents are 46-62. … Each team had 12 turnovers, but Auburn had 16 points off while South Carolina only had nine. Most of South Carolina’s turnovers came early, when it was leading the game. … Attendance was 8,430. … South Carolina’s next game is Saturday against Vanderbilt.
