Auburn's 20-point lead had quickly disappeared to eight with a little more than five minutes left in the game. Jabari Smith Jr., struggling all game from the field, hit a big shot to put it back to 10 points. Then, Wendell Green Jr., as he had all game long, made an impact play, coming from behind the Gamecocks' ball-handler, stealing the ball and was fouled.

He drained both free throws on the other end of the court, and South Carolina never threatened again. It was all part of a performance from Green, who finished with 22 points, that was critical on a night when Smith and K.D. Johnson had off nights, and what makes this team so dangerous. The sophomore guard stated as much afterward.

"It's not just one guy we're relying on," Green said. "I feel like that's what makes us so special."

It was Green this time that stepped up in a big way on Tuesday night as No. 9 Auburn defeated South Carolina 81-66, his sixth straight game scoring more than 10 points. And, it wasn't the typical Green performance either. Just 1-of-5 from the 3-point line, he earned his points with drives inside and, when not open, found a teammate for one of his five assists. A play in the first half stood out the most as the transfer from Eastern Kentucky grabbed the board and threw a half-court pass to Walker Kessler that the center slammed home.

"They were pressuring the ball a lot," Green said. "I've been working on finishing a lot, so that's really what my focus was"

Fourteen of Green's points came in the first half when it seemed he couldn't miss, dropping in floaters and leading the Tigers to a big halftime lead. And, against a South Carolina defense that can cause turnovers at a high rate, he committed just two in 28 minutes of play while having the ball in his hands a large portion of the time while adding five rebounds.

While Green is starting the game on the sidelines, what he has done at the end of games has impressed his coach.

"Green, in his back-to-back road appearances, demonstrated his courage, demonstrated his swagger and demonstrated his confidence," Bruce Pearl said. "Rather than starting games, he's finishing games."

Kessler finished with another double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Zep Jasper added 13 points. Smith posted 10 points.

Allen Flanigan, who returned for two games after an Achilles injury, missed the game due to medical issues.