So, you’re looking for the Auburn score today. Honestly, if you were watching the Tigers over the last week, you know things have been a complete roller coaster. One day they're blowing the doors off a ranked Arkansas team, and the next they're stumbling in Columbia. But today, Saturday, January 17, 2026, was all about holding serve at home.
Auburn entered the building tonight with a 10-7 record, sitting at a shaky 1-3 in SEC play. They needed this one. Badly. Facing a South Carolina Gamecocks team with an identical record, the stakes felt weirdly high for a mid-January matchup.
Auburn vs South Carolina: The Final Score
The Tigers managed to get back on track at Neville Arena, securing a vital win to steady the ship. After a brutal 84-74 loss to Missouri just a few days ago, Bruce Pearl’s squad—led today by acting head coach Steven Pearl—needed to prove they could play with that "relentless effort" they’re always preaching about.
The final score was Auburn 81, South Carolina 66.
It wasn't always pretty. The Gamecocks are known for chucking up a ton of threes, and when those start falling, they can scare anyone in the country. They’re top ten in the league in attempts from behind the arc. But tonight, Auburn’s perimeter defense actually showed up, forcing South Carolina into contested looks and cleaning up the glass.
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How the Game Folded
The first half was a bit of a grind. Auburn has this tendency to let teams hang around, and South Carolina was happy to oblige. Keyshawn Hall, who has been absolutely carrying the offensive load lately, was once again the focal point. Coming into today, Hall was averaging nearly 21 points a game. He’s the first Tiger since Wesley Person back in '94 to put up back-to-back 30-point performances. While he didn't hit 30 tonight, his presence opened up everything for the secondary scorers.
Kevin Overton and Elyjah Freeman finally found their rhythm. That’s been the missing piece. When Hall gets double-teamed, someone has to make them pay. Tonight, they did.
The Tigers used a 12-2 run midway through the second half to pull away. Neville Arena—which they call "Nothing but Neon" tonight for the promotion—was vibrating. It’s hard to win in that jungle when the crowd is locked in.
Why This Win Actually Matters
Look, a win over South Carolina might not jump off the page to a casual fan. But look at the context. Auburn’s non-conference schedule was a gauntlet. They took lumps against Houston, Arizona, and Purdue. They started conference play 0-2 with losses to Georgia and Texas A&M.
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If they had dropped this one at home to a South Carolina team that most experts have finishing in the bottom half of the SEC, the season would have been on life support. Instead, they moved to 11-7 and 2-3 in the conference. It’s a pulse.
Key Performance Notes
- Keyshawn Hall: Continued his All-SEC caliber season. He’s essentially the engine of this team.
- Defense: They held the Gamecocks well below their season average of 79 points.
- Turnovers: After coughing it up 11 times against Mizzou, Auburn was much more disciplined with the rock today.
Beyond the Court: What Else Happened?
It wasn't just basketball today. Auburn sports are always moving. If you were looking for the Auburn score today in other sports, the gymnastics squad has been the talk of the town lately. They recently knocked off NC State with a massive 197.150 at home.
Paige Zancan has been a machine on the vault, recently posting a 9.975. The energy around the gymnastics program is arguably higher than the basketball program right now, which says a lot about the culture at the Plains.
What’s Next for the Tigers?
The schedule doesn't get any easier. SEC play is a meat grinder this year. The Tigers have to hit the road again soon, and as we saw in Columbia earlier this week, road wins are hard to come by.
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If they want to make a real push for the tournament, they have to find consistency. You can't be the team that beats Arkansas by 20 and then loses to Missouri by 10. Tonight was a step toward finding that middle ground.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're following the Tigers for the rest of the season, keep an eye on these three things:
- The "Hall" Factor: If Keyshawn Hall gets into foul trouble early, Auburn doesn't currently have a Plan B that works against elite defenses.
- Free Throw Consistency: They shot over 70% tonight, but they've had games where they've left 10+ points at the stripe. In close SEC games, that's a death sentence.
- The Home Court Advantage: They have five more home games against unranked opponents. They basically have to sweep those to stay in the conversation.
Check the SEC standings tomorrow morning. You'll see Auburn climbing, but they’ve still got a mountain to scale.