COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Tahaad Pettiford assisted on Dylan Cardwell’s go-ahead dunk and converted two free throws with 4.4 seconds remaining as No. 2 Auburn overcame an injury to leading scorer Johni Broom and rallied to beat South Carolina 66-63 on Saturday.
With Auburn trailing by a point with 90 seconds remaining, Pettiford fed Cardwell for a dunk to give the Tigers (15-1, 3-0 SEC) a 64-63 lead. Pettiford sealed the win with a pair of free throws in the final seconds and finished with 15 points.
Broome, considered a contender for national player of the year honors, rolled his left ankle after going up for a rebound and exited the game with about 13 minutes left in the second half. He had six points and three rebounds in 24 minutes. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said Broome suffered a “significant sprain” and that the player will have an MRI when the team returns home Saturday night.
Collin Murray-Boyles had a game-high 25 points for the Gamecocks (10-6, 0-3), who were missing guards Myles Stute and Jamarii Thomas.
Takeaways
Auburn: The Tigers are likely to rise to the No. 1 spot in the rankings after top-ranked Tennessee lost to Florida. But Broome’s injury is a concern.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks have a move favorable schedule moving forward after losing their first three conference games, but a short-handed roster could be an issue.
Key moment
South Carolina lost track of Cardwell on a backdoor cut and go-ahead dunk with 92 seconds left and the Tigers moved ahead to stay.
Key stats
The Gamecocks had a 37-33 advantage in rebounds.
Up next
Auburn hosts Mississippi State on Tuesday, wh