COLUMBIA, SC – Allen Flanigan scored a career-high 24 points to lead five Tigers in double figures Saturday in Auburn's 109-86 road rout of South Carolina, a program record for points in an SEC away game.
"Everybody who comes to Auburn, we come here to make history," said Flanigan, who added six rebounds and four assists. "We made history tonight. The guards focused on being able to beat guys off the dribble and everybody moving and spacing the floor so we can get open shots and make plays for everybody."
With an assortment of alley-oops, drive-and-dishes and no-looks, freshman Sharife Cooper distributed 12 assists and scored 16 points in just his fifth collegiate game.
Jaylin Williams scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. JT Thor added 14 points and seven rebounds. Devan Cambridge scored 10 points.
Auburn (9-7, 3-5) defeated the Gamecocks (3-5, 1-3) for the third straight time.
"It was a good win on the road. We're making progress, getting better," said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. "Great balance. I thought JT and Jaylin Williams really responded. JT keeps getting better. Al does everything. Devan has been terrific off the bench. Overall, a pretty good afternoon."
Cooper had a double-double by halftime, with 11 assists and only one turnover, helping Auburn take a 57-42 lead.
"To be a great undersized player, you've got to be the toughest guy on the floor," Pearl said. "Sharife is going to get bounced every game, all game. It doesn't bother him. He's a tough kid, and this is required among undersized players."
After making their last five field goals to end the first half, the Tigers continued to attack after intermission, scoring the first six points of the second half.
"We came out in the second half and didn't take our foot off the gas, particularly offensively," Pearl said.
"We all got together and kept our energy," Williams said. "(Assistant coach Steven Pearl) got us together, jumping around, keeping our same energy coming out of the second half."
Auburn led by 31 points before Bruce Pearl emptied his bench in the final minutes. Eleven Tigers scored, including Lior Berman, who hit a pair of 3s and scored a career-high six points.
Auburn's 23-point margin of victory is the largest in an SEC road victory since a 98-75 win at LSU on Feb. 21, 2017.
The Tigers made 14 3-pointers on 27 attempts, eclipsing the century mark on Babatunde Akingbola's dunk with five minutes left in the game. The Tigers were 15 of 16 from the free-throw line, a 93.8 percent clip.
Auburn outrebounded South Carolina 46-34, leading to a 21-9 advantage in second-chance points.
Seeking its fourth SEC win in five games, Auburn hosts Missouri Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
