The odds were always going to be slim. After the penultimate game of South Carolina’s season, head coach Frank Martin said that if his Gamecocks found a way to beat No. 5 Auburn on the road he didn’t see how South Carolina could be left out of the NCAA Tournament. That feat proved too difficult to accomplish, as South Carolina lost the final regular-season game of the year to Bruce Pearl’s Tigers by a score of 82-71. With the win, the Tigers (27-4, 15-3) finished a perfect 16-0 at home this season and clinched the regular season SEC title. Coming into the game outside of the NCAA Tournament pi…