South Carolina falters down the stretch in SEC Tournament loss to Auburn
March 15, 2019
A.J. Lawson turned and winced with the whistle. His first big dent in his return game from injury felt like a crucial moment.
South Carolina’s chance to reach the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the first time in 16 years was on the brink of crunch time when Lawson, USC’s star freshman guard, challenged too hard on a 3-point attempt by Auburn’s Jared Harper. A three-shot foul was awarded to the Tigers as Lawson headed to the bench.
USC spent a good chunk of its conference season short-handed, so it was only fitting that the Gamecocks essentially stayed that way in the postseason. Lawson, one of the best rookies in the league, wasn’t his usual self after a three-game absence for an ankle injury. Fourth-seeded Carolina basically had to battle No. 5 Auburn with a familiar lineup of seven scholarship players.
The fight was there, the result wasn’t. Clutch-shooting Auburn pulled through with a 73-64 win on Friday at Bridgestone Arena. The Tigers (24-9) advance to face 8-seed Florida in a Saturday semifinal.
South Carolina dropped to 16-16 and now awaits its NIT fate.
March 15, 2019
A.J. Lawson turned and winced with the whistle. His first big dent in his return game from injury felt like a crucial moment.
South Carolina’s chance to reach the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the first time in 16 years was on the brink of crunch time when Lawson, USC’s star freshman guard, challenged too hard on a 3-point attempt by Auburn’s Jared Harper. A three-shot foul was awarded to the Tigers as Lawson headed to the bench.
USC spent a good chunk of its conference season short-handed, so it was only fitting that the Gamecocks essentially stayed that way in the postseason. Lawson, one of the best rookies in the league, wasn’t his usual self after a three-game absence for an ankle injury. Fourth-seeded Carolina basically had to battle No. 5 Auburn with a familiar lineup of seven scholarship players.
The fight was there, the result wasn’t. Clutch-shooting Auburn pulled through with a 73-64 win on Friday at Bridgestone Arena. The Tigers (24-9) advance to face 8-seed Florida in a Saturday semifinal.
South Carolina dropped to 16-16 and now awaits its NIT fate.
