March 1, 2007
DULUTH, Ga. - Utilizing a balanced attack, South Carolina (17-13) erased an 11-point second-half deficit to beat Auburn 65-63 Thursday afternoon in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Auburn (19-12) didn't score a field goal in the final four minutes of the game.
"I thought we played well in spurts," Auburn head coach Nell Fortner said. "It came down to who could make shots late. South Carolina did and we didn't."
DeWanna Bonner netted 21 points to lead Auburn, and KeKe Carrier scored 14. The Gamecocks were led by Stacy Booker with 14 and Lakesha Tolliver with 12. Lauren Simms scored 11 and Melanie Johnson added 10.
Bonner and Carrier were the go-to scorers for much of the game, including the Tigers' final possession. After Ilona Burgrova gave South Carolina a 64-63 lead with 21 seconds to play, Auburn called time out and drew up a play for Carrier. The entry pass to her was knocked out bounds by the Gamecocks, and Auburn then turned to Bonner.
After receiving the inbounds pass on the baseline, Bonner penetrated and missed a bank-shot off the glass. The loose ball was grabbed by members of both teams and a jump ball was called with possession going to South Carolina, forcing Auburn to foul.
Lauren Simms made the second of two free throws with two seconds remaining, and Auburn could not find the bottom of the net in the time remaining.
The Tigers led 48-37 with 11:03 to play, but South Carolina reeled off a 17-6 run to tie the game at 54. The two teams traded the lead five times in the final nine minutes before South Carolina took the lead for good with Burgrova's bucket.
Bonner scored 10 points in a back-and-forth first period that featured six lead changes and five ties. South Carolina led twice by four points, and Auburn led 22-18 with 3:27 remaining. The two teams went to the locker room tied at 27.
Former Auburn great Lauretta Freeman-Horn was honored at halftime of the game as a part of the SEC Greats program. Freeman-Horn was named SEC Player of the Year and was a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection in 1993.
Auburn's post-season fate now sits in the hands of the NCAA selection committee, who will choose the 64-team field on March 12th. The Tigers are also eligible for a WNIT invitation.