ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 14 Auburn Tigers returned to action on Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs and won 97-76.
Auburn got off to a good start but allowed Georgia to make it a game in the second half. The Tigers were able to hold on, however, and pick up the important road victory.
"It was a great win for us," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Georgia has been playing really well. Mike (White) has been playing really hard and we knew there was a big prize on our head."
What are the biggest takeaways from the game?
Auburn had a dominant first half
Auburn had one of its best first-half performances of the season and led 45-34 when it ended.
The Tigers shot 60.7% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range. They also out-rebounded Georgia 17-13.
Auburn will hope to replicate this start on Wednesday when it takes on No. 5 Tennessee on the road.
Chad Baker-Mazara and Chaney Johnson
Auburn needed someone to step up with forward Jaylin Williams being sidelined due to injury. Chad Baker-Mazara and Chaney Johnson did just that in what was each of their first starts in an Auburn uniform.
Baker-Mazara led the Tigers in scoring with 25 points and in assists with four. He also had five rebounds and shot 8-12 from the floor.
Johnson had 16 points, four rebounds and shot 6-9 from the field.
Williams' absence was felt, but these two helped Auburn fill the void.
Auburn shot the ball much better than it did against Kentucky
The Tigers had one of their worst shooting performances not just of the season, but of Bruce Pearl's tenure as the program's head coach last Saturday against Kentucky. Auburn shot 30.9% from the field and 18.2% from 3-point range.
Against Georgia, Auburn shot 62.1% from the field and 53.8% from beyond the arc.
Getting back on track offensively was a priority for the Tigers with what lies ahead on the schedule.
Auburn held off a Georgia run in the second half
Georgia made things interesting in the second half.
The Bulldogs went on multiple runs and cut Auburn's lead down to three, but Auburn was able to weather the storm and get back in front.
The Tigers went on an 11-0 run with less than 10 minutes left in the game to secure their lead.
Auburn is now 21-6 on the season and 10-4 in SEC play.
Auburn will be back in action on Wednesday night when it takes on the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers on Wednesday at Thompson-Boeing Arena at 6 p.m. CT. The television broadcast can be found on ESPN2, and the Auburn Sports Network broadcast can be streamed anywhere on the Auburn Athletics app.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.locke@1819news.com.
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