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Auburn basketball blows out South Carolina, one win away from playing for SEC title

NASHVILLE — Chad Baker-Mazara got up off the ground looking to defend himself.

After getting pushed to the floor by South Carolina guard Zachary Davis, the former Northwest Florida State standout took a few steps and exchanged some brief words with Davis before teammates and officials could create space between the two.

One of Auburn basketball's vocal leaders, Baker-Mazara, who wears his emotions on his sleeve, turned around and saw teammate Tre Donaldson telling him to relax. Baker-Mazara put a hand up and pointed to his head as if he was telling his point guard that he had collected himself.

The Tigers (25-7) showed composure in their SEC Tournament win over the Gamecocks (26-7) in Bridgestone Arena on Friday, bludgeoning South Carolina in the paint over and over again on the way to an 86-55 victory. It's Auburn's first win in the conference tournament since it won the championship over Tennessee in 2019.

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Auburn basketball avoids letdown against South Carolina in SEC Tournament

The Tigers and Gamecocks had already played once before, with the former creaming the latter by 40 points in Neville Arena on Valentine's Day. Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams − Auburn's All-SEC front court − sank nine of their 12 attempts from 3-point range in that previous win.

Shots weren't falling at quite that efficiency Friday, but the Tigers still handily won. It's Auburn's 25th double-digit victory of the season, one shy of tying the 1998-99 Tigers for the most in program history.

Tigers bash Gamecocks in the paint

South Carolina had 26 points in the first half. Auburn had 24 points in the paint during that same stretch.

The Tigers consistently took the ball in close, and it consistently worked. Broome scored a game-high 18 points, with a solid chunk of that production coming from either around the rim or at the foul line.

An impressive defensive showing

Auburn held South Carolina to a 28.1% shooting mark, which includes a 25% rate from deep. Fifth-year forward BJ Mack and Davis were the only two Gamecocks to have more than 10 points; Mack finished with a team-high 14 on 25% shooting.

What's next?

The Tigers will play Mississippi State in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament on Saturday (Noon CT, ESPN). The two sides have met twice this season, with Auburn winning on the Plains and the Bulldogs winning in Starkville.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball beats South Carolina again for SEC Tournament win