A solid performance from Aicha Coulibaly was not enough for Auburn to generate momentum in their biggest test of the season.
The Auburn Tigers (10-5, 0-3 SEC) fell 94-42 to the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (15-0, 3-0 SEC).
“I thought their size really intimidated us,” Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris said. “We missed wide-open shots. We got to the free-throw line but we missed free throws. We didn’t run the floor like we planned to run the floor. They had 50 points in the paint. We were in the paint trying to battle, we got some turnovers. But we were just outmatched in the paint."
Aicha Coulibaly led the Tigers in scoring with 16 points, followed by Sania Wells with a season-high 13 points. Coulibaly and Kaitlyn Duhon co-led the team in rebounds with four each. Auburn only recorded four assists, each belonging to a different player.
South Carolina had four players put up double-figures in the points column, Kamilla Cardoso led the charge with 16. Aliyah Boston led the team in rebounds with nine and Raven Johnson led in assists with seven.
The Tigers were able to control their turnovers, only committing 12 to South Carolina's 14. They were unable to control many other aspects of the game, however.
Auburn shot 18-63 (28.6 %) from the field, 2-8 (25%) from three-point range, and 4-12 (33.3 %) from the free-throw line.
The Tigers struggled to get the ball inside, perhaps their biggest strength this season. They scored 22 points in the paint to South Carolina's 50.
The Gamecocks' depth was also a nail in Auburn's coffin, as they had 50 bench points to Auburn's 22.
Auburn will have a chance to bounce back against the Alabama Crimson Tide at 4 p.m. CT on Sunday at home in Neville Arena.
