Feb. 18, 2018
By Jeff Shearer
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn's road trip to South Carolina demonstrated what Bruce Pearl has been saying all season -- parity in the Southeastern Conference.
"I think it shows you how good the league is," Pearl said after the Gamecocks defeated the Tigers 84-75 Saturday. "I don't know that we're the best team in the league, but we're certainly one of the best teams in the league. We're at the top of the league and I've been saying all year long that we're good enough to beat every team on our schedule and every team on our schedule is good enough to beat us."
Here are three takeaways as Auburn enters the final two weeks of the regular season.
Playing for Anfernee
Auburn played the second half without Anfernee McLemore, who suffered a season-ending injury to his left ankle late in the first half.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with him," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "I promise you, Anfernee McLemore will not be held down. He will be back."
While medical personnel treated McLemore, Auburn's players huddled nearby, praying for their teammate.
"He's a tough one to lose because we're already very small and very thin on the frontline and now we lose our shot-blocking, 3-point-shooting 5-man. He's a nightmare to match up with. We'll continue to figure out a way.
"There's no margin for error because we're down to eight guys. We're already the 305th tallest team in the country and we've lost our shot blocker. I'm not going to worry about what I can't control. We're going to try and find a way with the guys we've got to go win."
McLemore, the SEC's leading shot blocker, shared his prognosis on Twitter, thanking fans for their support.
"Thank you Auburn Family for all the love and support," he wrote. "Doctors said I dislocated my ankle, fractured my tibia, and will need surgery for some torn ligaments. Not to worry, I'll be back in 4-6 months. War Eagle everybody."
Thank you Auburn Family for all the love and support! Doctors said I dislocated my ankle, fractured my tibia, and will need surgery for some torn ligaments. Not to worry, I'll be back in 4-6 months. War Eagle everybody 🦅
-- Anfernee McLemore (@akmclemore) February 17, 2018
Comeback, almost
Trailing by 26 with 6:11 in the first half, Auburn threatened the program record for largest comeback, a 22-point deficit overcome in 1995 against Louisville.
The Tigers shaved 21 points off the Gamecocks' lead, pulling within five before missing 3-poiint attempts that would have made it a one-possession game.
Still, the fight Auburn displayed in rallying -- especially with McLemore out -- exemplifies a team that has defied odds throughout the season.
"I thought our effort in the second half was tremendous given the deficit and adversity," Pearl said. "We got some pretty good looks that we typically make. And if we make those looks, we have a chance to come back and win the game. A lot of character, a lot of toughness, a lot of resiliency."
Still on top
Despite the defeat, Auburn (23-4, 11-3) remains in first place in the Southeastern Conference by two games with four games remaining.
"They understand what our goal is," Pearl said. "We're trying to win the regular season championship. We've got Alabama at home and they're as talented or maybe the most talented team in our league. We've got to go to Florida and Arkansas. Those are two really hard places to go. Then, South Carolina comes back to Auburn.
"We could win them all, we could lose them all. We are still trying to win that regular season championship for sure. Coaches can talk all they want about seeding and the conference tournament, but it's that regular season [championship]. It's that grind. We've got a lot more work to do if we're going to get it."
Auburn hosts Alabama Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @jeff_shearer