AUBURN, Ala. — Count Auburn coach Jeff Lebo as one of South Carolina guard Devan Downey’s biggest fans.

Just not on Saturday.

Downey beat Auburn every way he could at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum, finishing one point shy of a season high with 33 as the Gamecocks knocked off the Tigers 80-71 in the SEC opener for both teams.

“I can’t wait to see him leave,” Lebo said. “He’s one of my favorite players in the country. The more you watch him the more you love him.”

The senior guard went 11-for-23 from the field, making four 3-pointers and scoring 21 points in the second half, including 17 in the final 10 minutes after Auburn tied the game at 52 apiece.

“My fears came true in this game,” Lebo said. “We tried everything against him. We doubled him, zoned him, doubled the ball screen, switched the ball screen, hedged the ball screen, dropped the ball screen. We guarded it every which way you can guard it and he beat it every which way you can beat it. ... He just single-handedly just whipped us.”

It was the sixth time in seven seasons Auburn (9-7, 0-1 SEC) has dropped its conference opener.

The Tigers had some bright spots. DeWayne Reed scored 19 points to go with eight assists, although he also had six turnovers. And Lucas Hargove posted his fourth double-double this season with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Auburn’s biggest boost came off the bench, where forward Brendon Knox scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting in 30 minutes. Mostly because of Knox, Auburn held a dominating 52-26 advantage in points in the paint.

But the Tigers had no answer for Downey, the SEC’s second-leading scorer entering the game at 18.5 points per game. The 5-foot-9 guard did everything for South Carolina. Despite eight turnovers, he spearheaded South Carolina’s pressure defense, finishing with four steals, and ran circles around Auburn defenders, adding three assists.

“He’s fast,” Knox said. “He can handle the ball. When you have to press a guy that quick, it gives the whole team problems. You have to give him credit. He’s a good player.”

When Auburn tied the game at 52, Downey turned it on. A quick layup by the guard started an 8-0 run that gave the Gamecocks some breathing room. Downey later hit two 3-pointers to push the lead to 68-58 with 4:53 remaining.

“When he’s making 3’s, you don’t guard him,” Lebo said. “He’s one of those (guys) who makes me nervous every time he’s in the game. He was just unbelievable tonight. Unbelievable.”

The Tigers never got closer than eight after that. Downey finished things off by making seven free throws in the final three minutes.

South Carolina had three others in double figures, getting 12 from Sam Muldrow, 11 from Brandis Raley-Ross and 10 from Austin Steed.

The Gamecocks shot the ball well, going 11-for-25 from 3-point range. The Tigers were a season-worst 2-for-13 from long range, failing to connect on a 3-pointer in the game’s final 33 minutes.

The loss is only the beginning of a particularly brutal SEC stretch for Auburn. The Tigers play three of their next four on the road — at No. 16 Tennessee, LSU and Vanderbilt — with their lone home game coming next Saturday against No. 3 Kentucky and freshman sensation John Wall.

“Is there one we don’t need?” Lebo said. “We need them all. This league is brutal, so you’ve got to try to win at home.”