March 2, 2006
Little Rock, Ark. – The South Carolina women’s basketball team suffered a 64-48 defeat at the hands of 10th-seeded Auburn in first-round action at the Southeastern Conference Tournament played at Alltel Arena Thursday. With the loss, Carolina dipped to 17-11 overall, with Auburn improving to 14-14.
Carolina struggled in the game’s opening minutes and was held scoreless for the first six minutes and 20 seconds of the contest. During that span, Auburn got out to a 13-0 lead and did not relinquish its advantage at any point of the game. The Gamecocks carved into the lead as the half wore on, but the Tigers still took a 27-21 lead into the locker room at halftime. Melanie Johnson led the way for the Gamecocks in the first half with 12 points and eight rebounds. The second-team all-SEC performer finished the game with 14 points and 11 boards.
The second half began in similar fashion to the first, as Carolina was held scoreless for the first four minutes and six seconds and Auburn capitalized, rattling off nine unanswered points to start the half. The Tigers’ size inside limited Carolina’s high-percentage looks inside, and when the Gamecocks did get open looks, they struggled to convert with consistency.
Auburn freshman DeWanna Bonner was the star of the game, scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
The Gamecocks won the regular-season meeting between the two teams, claiming a 58-46 victory in Auburn on Feb. 16.
With Thursday’s win, the Tigers advance to the second round, where they will face second-seeded Tennessee at 3:25 p.m. Eastern time Friday.
