Basketball season in the SEC is always a absolute roller coaster, and honestly, if you were looking for what was the score of the auburn game today, you probably know by now that Neville Arena is a place where logic goes to die. The Tigers hosted South Carolina on Saturday, January 17, 2026, in a matchup that had fans chewing their fingernails down to the quick.
The final buzzer just sounded, and the scoreboard tells a story of a physical, gritty SEC battle that lived up to the hype of "The Jungle."
What Was The Score Of The Auburn Game Today?
Auburn pulled off a hard-fought victory against the South Carolina Gamecocks, finishing with a final score of 78–71.
It wasn't always pretty. In fact, for the first ten minutes of the second half, it was downright ugly. Auburn came into the game as an 11.5-point favorite according to the folks over at BetMGM, but the Gamecocks clearly didn't get the memo. They hung around like a bad cold, refusing to let Bruce Pearl’s squad get into that trademark transition rhythm that usually buries teams early.
The atmosphere in Auburn, Alabama, was electric, even by Neville Arena standards. There is just something about a Saturday evening tip-off at 6:00 PM EST that brings out the loudest version of the student section.
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Keyshawn Hall and the Turning Point
If you look at the box score, Keyshawn Hall was the man of the hour. After a bit of a slump in the previous loss to Missouri where he only notched 10 points, Hall looked like a different human being today. He was aggressive from the jump, drawing fouls and basically living at the free-throw line.
On the other side, South Carolina’s Meechie Johnson tried his best to play spoiler. The guy is a pure bucket-getter. Every time Auburn threatened to push the lead to double digits, Meechie would hit a contested three or find a way to the rim. But ultimately, Auburn’s depth and their dominance on the glass—averaging over 34 boards a game this season—proved to be too much for the Gamecocks to handle in the closing minutes.
Why the Score Today Matters for the SEC Standings
The SEC is a meat grinder this year. Coming into today, both Auburn and South Carolina were sitting at 10–7 overall and 1-3 in conference play. That is a dangerous place to be if you have aspirations of playing in March.
Basically, this was a "must-win" without being a literal elimination game.
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- Auburn's Resume: They needed to protect home court after that disappointing road trip to Columbia.
- Conference Seeding: With teams like Vanderbilt and Georgia surprisingly sitting at the top of the SEC standings right now, every win is a lifeline.
- Player Status: We saw Kaden Magwood return to the rotation after some "off-the-court standards" issues kept him sidelined recently. His energy off the bench was a subtle but huge factor in the win.
Auburn’s defense held South Carolina to under 45% from the field, which is usually the magic number for a Tigers victory. When Bruce Pearl’s teams get stops and get out in the open floor, they are almost impossible to beat at home.
The Football Roster Shakeup
While everyone was focused on the hardwood, the Auburn football program was making massive waves in the transfer portal today too. First-year head coach Alex Golesh isn’t wasting any time.
News broke right around tip-off that Auburn is signing former 5-star edge rusher Da'Shawn Womack from Ole Miss. It's a massive get. Womack has already been at LSU and Ole Miss, so he’s an SEC veteran who knows exactly what it takes to play in this league. With the Tigers losing their top defensive ends from the 2025 season, Womack is likely going to be a day-one starter.
What's Next for the Tigers?
Don't get too comfortable with this win. The schedule doesn't get any easier from here. Auburn has to turn around and get ready for a Tuesday night clash with Ole Miss. If they want to keep this momentum going, they’ll need to figure out how to reduce the turnovers that kept South Carolina in the game today.
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For fans planning their next trip to the Plains, tickets for the upcoming Texas and Tennessee games are already becoming a hot commodity.
If you're following the team's trajectory, keep an eye on the injury report for the next 48 hours. The intensity of today's game definitely left a few players looking a bit banged up. Make sure to check the official Auburn Tigers site or the SEC Network for the full statistical breakdown and post-game press conferences from Coach Pearl.
Secure your seats early if you're heading to Neville Arena for the Florida game on the 24th, because "The Jungle" is only going to get rowdier as the season heats up.