Chris Silva’s career night, Felipe Haase’s shot push USC past Auburn in thriller
While Chris Silva jogged to the other end of the floor like it was nothing, the end of South Carolina’s bench couldn’t contain itself. Jair Bolden and Nathan Nelson grinned in the front row. Behind them, Jason Cudd laughed at T.J. Moss doing his impression of what just happened.
Silva, perhaps the SEC’s most powerful player, just scored two points in the most awkward of ways. A potential rim-rocking dunk slipped out of his mitts for hands — but the basketball still floated through the goal.
It was his night.
USC has its second win over a ranked opponent in two weeks thanks to an 80-77 edging of No. 16 Auburn on Tuesday at Colonial Life Arena.
Silva set career-highs in points (32) and rebounds (14) — with four blocks — as the Gamecocks (10-8 overall) improved to 5-1 in SEC play.
“I”m really happy for him,” said Carolina coach Frank Martin, “and I’m really proud of our guys.”
A season-high crowd of 13,857 saw it unfold. The joyous moments outweighed the tense ones, but barely.
A go-ahead 3-pointer from Felipe Haase with 31 seconds left, followed by a Silva-led defensive stand, gave USC its sixth win in seven tries.
The Tigers dropped to 13-5 and 2-3 in the league.
“Our team showed a lot of character and a lot of heart to be able to fight back from a couple double-digit deficits,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. “Silva was obviously the difference in the game. He was dominant. Not only did he score 32 and (have) 14 (rebounds) with four blocked shots, he fouled out two of our post players.
“We had nobody to guard him.”
The Tigers were already missing 6-foot-11 Austin Wiley because of injury. Anfernee McLemore and Spencer Horace, their other interior options, were done with 7:46 left in the game.
Silva, like he did to Missouri’s Jeremiah Tilmon on Jan. 12, overwhelmed his opponent with pure physicality. He went 11 of 12 from the field and 10 of 11 from the foul line.
He couldn’t miss — even when the execution off. His failed dunk-turned accidental layup put the Gamecocks ahead 58-52 with 9:45 left.
“That happens to everybody,” Silva said. “But the fact it went in, I mean, it was just meant to be, I guess.”
Silva fouled out of both of USC’s games last week. He had four fouls during Auburn’s true final possession. The Tigers, down 78-77 after Haase’s heroics, had two looks in a 19-second span. One — a corner 3 attempt from Chuma Okeke — was contested by a sprinting Silva after Keyshawn Bryant had lost his man. The other — a put-back attempt by Danjel Purifoy — was rebounded by Silva.
“That’s why, when he’s on the floor,” Martin said of Silva, “he gives us a chance to win. Because of plays like that.”
The big man was then fouled and made both of his free throws to help seal things.
South Carolina led by as many as 11 in both halves, but the game featured 12 lead changes.
The Tigers went on a 12-0 run to take a 73-71 advantage with 4:01 left. When Silva was on the floor, the Gamecocks mostly dominated. But when he was off it, USC had slippage.
Silva picked up his fourth foul at the 3:14 mark. A Maik Kotsar elbow jumper put USC in a 75-all tie a minute later. After a potential go-ahead jump hook from Kotsar rimmed out, A.J. Lawson fouled Auburn’s Jared Harper near midcourt with 56 second left.
He made both free throws.
It set up Haase’s only 3 of the evening. Gravett kicked to the sophomore in the corner late in the shot clock.
“He drove, my guy helped and Hassani made the pass,” Haase said. “I didn’t catch it clean, but it still went in. So it worked.”
Gravett (13) was the only other Gamecock to reach double figures in scoring. Harper and Bryce Brown had 17 apiece for the Tigers.
NEXT GAME
Who: South Carolina at Oklahoma State
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena
TV: ESPNU
Box score
AUBURN (13-5): Okeke 4-12 4-4 13, McLemore 3-4 0-0 6, Brown 4-11 6-7 17, Doughty 3-5 0-0 8, Harper 7-15 2-3 17, Purifoy 1-6 1-2 3, Spencer 3-3 3-6 9, McCormick 0-2 2-2 2, Dunbar 0-3 2-2 2. Totals 25-61 20-26 77.
SOUTH CAROLINA (10-8): Silva 11-12 10-11 32, Bryant 3-12 0-2 6, Haase 4-10 0-0 9, Lawson 2-9 2-2 7, Campbell 1-3 0-0 3, Kotsar 4-8 1-4 9, Frink 0-0 1-2 1, Hinson 0-1 0-0 0, Gravett 5-9 0-1 13. Totals 30-64 14-22 80.
Halftime: Auburn 38-37. 3-Point Goals: Auburn 7-25 (Brown 3-8, Doughty 2-4, Okeke 1-4, Harper 1-6, Purifoy 0-1, McLemore 0-1, Dunbar 0-1), South Carolina 6-18 (Gravett 3-6, Haase 1-1, Campbell 1-3, Lawson 1-6, Hinson 0-1, Bryant 0-1). Fouled Out: Lawson, McLemore, Spencer. Rebounds_Auburn 30 (Okeke 7), South Carolina 34 (Silva 14). Assists: Auburn 9 (Harper 5), South Carolina 16 (Gravett 6). Total Fouls: Auburn 22, South Carolina 21.
This story was originally published January 22, 2019 at 8:45 PM.
