Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) celebrates an and-one play as Auburn Tigers take on Missouri Tigers at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Auburn Tigers defeated Missouri Tigers 84-68.
Bruce Pearl is the winningest coach in Auburn history, and another milestone is within his grasp — the No. 1 ranking in next week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The No. 2 Tigers will attempt to run their winning streak to eight games and impress voters even further Saturday afternoon with a visit to South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.
Auburn (14-1, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) is unbeaten since its six-point loss at Duke on Dec. 4. The Tigers won the first six games of their streak by at least 16 points before Pearl, who is in his 11th season as Auburn’s coach, got his 214th win in Tuesday’s 87-82 victory at Texas.
Pearl surpassed Joel Eaves (1949-63), and his achievement occurred on the same night top-ranked Tennessee was handed a 30-point loss at eighth-ranked Florida. The Tigers began this season No. 11 and moved up to the top five on Nov. 11 before becoming the second-ranked team following an impressive showing to win the Maui Invitational.
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Auburn’s latest win might have been its toughest since the trip to Hawaii, when it beat Iowa State, North Carolina and Memphis. The Tigers allowed a 21-point lead in the second half to slip to three in the final minute on Tuesday.
“The kids were excited about it,” Pearl said of his record. “I have confidence in them, and over a period of time, their confidence builds in us. I don’t think we panicked late. We’ve got a lot to learn from. The kids were happy for me.”
Auburn has scored at least 80 points in 12 games and continues to get big performances from Johni Broome, who has led the team in scoring in four straight games after totaling 20 points and 12 rebounds Tuesday. Broome is averaging a double-double for the season and leads the Tigers in scoring (18.7 points per game), rebounds (11.2) and assists (3.4).
Broome is one of six Auburn players to average in double figures in scoring. The Tigers continue to get steady outings from Chad Baker-Mazara, whose 16 points Tuesday marked the 12th time he reached double figures this season.
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The Gamecocks (10-5, 0-2), meanwhile, are off to a rough start in conference play and will face their third straight ranked opponent after losing by a combined 55 points to Mississippi State and Alabama.
South Carolina struggled with slow starts in portions of its non-conference schedule, and the issue is appearing through the two conference games. After trailing Mississippi State by 25 at halftime a week ago, the Gamecocks faced a 45-28 halftime deficit against Alabama.
Off to a slow start in conference play is Collin Murray-Boyles, who was 3 of 15 from the field and scored 11 points in the past two games after reaching double figures in 12 of 13 non-conference games.
“Some of it is doubling. I think he’s been sped up a little bit,” South Carolina coach Lamont Paris said about Murray-Boyles. “You gotta make decisions in traffic and sometimes in a short amount of time, and he didn’t do a great job.”
South Carolina hopes Murray-Boyles can bounce back in conjunction with strong performances from Jacobi Wright, who scored 20 against Alabama. The Gamecocks also got 10 from Zachary Davis after he finished with 22 at Mississippi State.
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Arden Conyers likely will see more time in place of Myles Stute, who is out indefinitely with a blood clot in his leg. Conyers played a season-high 19 minutes Wednesday after appearing for a combined 16 minutes in his five appearances during the non-conference schedule.
Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks squad won its 10th consecutive game on Thursday when they dominated the Texas A&M Aggies by a score of 90-49.
Per usual, the Gamecocks showed off their impressive depth in the game, having six players scoring in double-digits in their first game after it was announced that top player Ashlyn Watkins tore her ACL and would miss the rest of the season.
Ever since their win over #9 ranked TCU on December 8, South Carolina has essentially cruised to a bunch of wins against unranked teams. Now, however, they face a series of exceedingly tough tests.
They face No. 5 ranked Texas on January 12, No. 18 ranked Alabama on January 16, No. 10 ranked Oklahoma on January 19, the undefeated and No. 6 ranked LSU Tigers on January 23, then the No. 16 ranked Tennessee Volunteers on January 27.
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That’s an insane slate of five straight games. But Dawn Staley seems to be feeling confident.
“I like where we are,” Staley said when asked if this is where she wants her team to be heading into this upcoming gauntlet, per the South Carolina Gamecocks YouTube account.
“I do,” Staley added. “I mean, probably Ashlyn’s injury freed us up a little bit. I think we could play a little more loose. And, I like it. I mean, I’m not fretting the five games in 16 days at all. Our team is prepared to play. Win, lose, or draw, we’re gonna play.
“We’re gonna play hard, we’re gonna give our best effort. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to play perfectly, but we’re going to muck it up to where other teams can’t play perfectly either. It’s going to be a battle, and we look forward to the battle,” she continued.
The women’s basketball world will learn a lot about these Gamecocks by the time these five games are over.
South Carolina’s championship repeat tour chances are in trouble.
Junior forward Ashlyn Watkins, a critical part of the 2024 team that won a title, is done for the season with an ACL injury. Her injury significantly complicates the Gamecocks’ chances at another title. South Carolina was already adjusting to life without Kamilla Cardoso, attempting her length and production with Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin after she moved on to the WNBA.
But no Watkins to lead the bench unit or fill in the starting lineup when needed puts a dent in how the team operates. “In the games, we might need to play small ball,” head coach Dawn Staley told the media earlier this week. “The last time that we lost a big such as Ashlyn, we played small ball, and it worked out for us. And we might have to pull that rabbit out [of] our hat.”
Dawn Staley on how @GamecockWBB adjusts without Ashlyn Watkins in the post:
“We might need to play small ball. The last time that we lost a big such as Ashlyn (Alaina Coates in 2017), we played small ball and it worked out for us.”@wachfoxpic.twitter.com/vtJNwhiSFM
Transparently, losing Watkins’ length and size (6 foot-3) for the remainder of the season will hurt the Gamecocks when they play teams with similar or larger physical attributes.
There’s also this to consider: South Carolina’s sheer amount of roster continuity is also impacted. When the NCAA Tournament arrives, teams with more chemistry, experience and ability to produce at those levels typically have longer post-season runs.
With this in mind, if South Carolina wants another ring, Dawn Staley might have to go so deep into her coaching bag that she finds Tic Tacs at the bottom.
No criminal charges will be filed over the death of a Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) K9 deputy who perished inside a hot patrol car on July 28, 2024.
The deputy – K9 Orser – was identified for the first time on Wednesday (January 8, 2025), less than 24 hours after FITSNews reported that the investigation into his death was ongoing.
“At my request, I was briefed today by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division regarding the findings and conclusion of their investigation into the death of K9 Orser,” newly sworn-in DCSO sheriff Sam Richardson said in a statement. “Based on their thorough and independent investigation, they have decided not to pursue criminal charges against the K9 handler involved in this incident. The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office will be holding a private memorial service to honor K9 Orser for his devoted service to the citizens of Dorchester County.”
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Deputy Brandon Edwards, Orser’s handler, was demoted following the incident – and the case was turned over to the SLED for investigation. As of now, the details of that inquiry – and the decision not to prosecute Edwards – remain a mystery.
Our news outlet repeatedly requested information from DCSO about this incident – but those requests were either declined or deferred. Last August, a former DCSO deputy took to social media and demanded accountability in the matter.
“Dorchester County is trying to sweep this under the rug,” former deputy Adam Throckmorton said. “They’re trying to duck the news media, and they’re just trying to make it like it never happened.”
Shortly thereafter, SLED announced it had taken over the case – with its director of public information, Renée Wunderlich, noting her agency was leading an independent inquiry as opposed to merely conducting an “investigative review.”
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RELATED | ANOTHER SOUTH CAROLINA K9 OFFICER KILLED
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Details of Edwards’ demotion recently surfaced in documents submitted to the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA), which outlined the reason for the disciplinary action. Edwards left his K9 partner “unattended in his department-issued vehicle without the temperature controls operating,” according to a document dated September 12, 2024. As a result, Edwards’ rank was reduced from master deputy to deputy, his pay was decreased, and he was removed from the K9 unit. Notably, the document made no mention of the K9’s death.
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FITSNews is submitting FOIA requests aimed at uncovering the findings of SLED’s investigation – and the determination by prosecutors not to press charges. Whatever information we are able to obtain from those inquiries we will be sure to pass along to our audience.
As previously noted, last year was a horrific one for K9 officers in South Carolina. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) alone lost three K9s – Bumi, Kodak and Wick – each shot and killed in the line of duty. SLED lost one K9, Coba, who was also shot and killed in the line of duty.
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THE RELEASE…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Callie Lyons (provided)
Callie Lyonsis a journalist, researcher and author. Her 2007 book ‘Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal’ was the first to cover forever chemicals and their impact on communities – a story later told in the movie ‘Dark Waters.’ Her investigative work has been featured in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world. Lyons also appears in ‘Citizen Sleuth’ – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.
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