AUBURN | Bruce Pearl credited Frank Martin for not losing South Carolina’s players during a 5-7 non-conference record, which has helped the Gamecocks off to a 5-1 start in the SEC.

Now, Pearl has to ask the same from his Auburn players after two-straight losses and another tough road game coming up Saturday night at No. 22 Mississippi State.

“I feel like we're doing well,” junior Anfernee McLemore said. “We're all pretty much bought into the same objective of what we need to do better and what we need to work on. I think, overall, we're more focused on getting better on the court rather than having any animosity between teammates.”

McLemore has been thrust back into the starting lineup after an injury to Austin Wiley. But McLemore and Horace Spencer, who have been splitting the minutes at center, have fouled out of the last two games and combined to average just 10.5 points and 9.0 rebounds.

Against the pair, Kentucky’s Reid Travis scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and South Carolina’s Chris Silva scored a career-high 32 points and had 14 rebounds.

“We have to be a little smarter, just pick and choose, you know, if we do foul, that it's not an and-1. Just things like that,” McLemore said. “Most of those things, it's just being in a better position on the court. We pretty much get our fouls when we're in the wrong position or in an awkward position, so if we jump to the spots that we're supposed to be in, we're pretty much not going to foul.”

But McLemore doesn’t want to make too much out of the fouls.

“I don't really wanna put too much focus just not fouling, because then I won't play as aggressively,” he said.

The 16th-ranked Tigers come into the matchup 13-5 overall and 2-3 in the conference. After Saturday’s game at MSU, Auburn’s fourth road game in six SEC matchups, the Tigers will play three-straight at home.

The Bulldogs come into the game 14-4 and 2-3 in the conference. Senior guard Quinndary Weatherspoon leads MSU averaging 16.8 points per game. Junior Lamar Peters is averaging 12.8 points and 5.7 assists while senior forward Aric Holman is averaging 11.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.

“They’re really good at home. They score like 85 points a game at home. They shoot like 40 percent from the 3 at home,” Pearl said. “They’ve got multiple weapons. Peters is one of the most improved shooters in the league — strong downhill driver that can now shoot it. The Witherspoons are both great athletes, that can score on many, many levels. Holman was a test-the-waters power forward a year ago, and he can shoot the 3, and is a great passer.”

Tip-off at Humphrey Coliseum is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network.