#6 South Carolina dumps Auburn 60-41

The Gamecocks’ big two - A’ja Wilson and Alaina Coates - were the difference makers in #6 South Carolina’s 60-41 win over the Auburn Tigers Thursday evening at Colonial Life Arena. With the win, Carolina swept the season series against the Tigers and improved to 21-2 (10-1 SEC).

Wilson and Coates teamed up to score 17 and 16 points, respectively, in the Gamecocks’ victory. The Carolina defense, meanwhile, held the Tigers to single digits in the first three quarters while building a 49-25 lead going into the fourth quarter. Auburn would get no closer than 19 points the rest of the way as the Gamecocks rode a comfortable double-digit margin all the way to the final buzzer.

It was another statistically dominant performance for Carolina as they outrebounded the Tigers by a 30-21 mark and held a 34-6 advantage in the paint thanks to their familiar inside presence. Auburn shot just 30% from the field as opposed to the Gamecocks’ 57% mark, and while standouts Katie Frerking and Tyra Johnson combined for 24 points, no Tigers player scored more than five or sank more than two field goals.

The Gamecocks have the next few days to prepare for their biggest game of the year: a Monday night showdown with #1 UConn, which seeks its 100th straight win on the path to a fifth straight national championship. Tipoff is set for 9pm on ESPN2.