ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Tahaad Pettiford displayed sharpshooting skills as he connected on 5 of 7 attempts from beyond the arc, contributing 24 points off the bench to propel top-ranked Auburn to a narrow 70-68 victory over No. 23 Georgia on Saturday. Auburn (17-1, 5-0 SEC) extended their winning streak to 10 games, overcoming the absence of standout player Johni Broome, sidelined due to an ankle injury sustained in a January 11 matchup against South Carolina. Georgia (14-4, 2-3) struggled from the free-throw line, converting only 45% of their attempts by making 9 of 20 shots.
Key takeaways:
Auburn: Despite missing their top scorer Broome, averaging 17.9 points per game, the Tigers secured a significant win against a Top 25 opponent.
Georgia: The Bulldogs suffered their first home defeat of the season, ending their impressive 13-game winning streak at Stegeman Coliseum, which stood as the fourth-longest home streak in program history.
Key moment:
Trailing 70-67 with only nine seconds remaining in regulation, Georgia had an opportunity to force overtime when a turnover by Miles Kelly led to Dakota Leffew attempting a game-tying 3-pointer with seven seconds left. Unfortunately for Georgia, Leffew’s shot was off the mark. Asa Newell also had a chance to equalize at the buzzer, but his shot fell short.
Key stat:
Auburn’s bench players stepped up in Broome’s absence, contributing a significant 32 points in the win.
Up next:
Auburn is set to face No. 6 Tennessee on January 25 at home, while Georgia will travel to Arkansas for their next game on Tuesday night.
For more college basketball news and updates on the AP Top 25 rankings, stay tuned to AP college basketball coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball.
