COLUMBIA, S.C. — COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Wendell Green Jr. scored a season-high 22 points and No. 9 Auburn beat South Carolina 81-66 for its 10th straight win.
The Tigers led by 21 points in the second half, but held on after the Gamecocks drew within 63-55 with about seven minutes to play.
Green came through again with two foul shots before 7-foot-1 Walker Kesslen jammed home a bucket to restore the double-digit lead. Kessler followed up a triple double last game with 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks as Auburn opened 2-0 in the SEC for the first time in four years.
South Carolina (9-4, 0-1SEC) had not played in nearly two weeks after the S.C. State game had been postponed due to COVID issue with both teams.
Eric Stevenson led all scorers with a season-high 25 points, going 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. Wildens Leveque had 11 points and seven rebounds, and James Reese V had nine points. But the Gamecocks got just eleven points and four rebounds from the bench.
