No. 1 Auburn defeats Georgia 74-72 in Athens

Wendell Green Jr. made a tie-breaking layup with four seconds remaining and No. 1 Auburn got past Georgia 74-72 Saturday, extending the nation’s longest winning streak to 19 games.

Auburn (22-1, 10-0 Southeastern Conference) continued its dominant run through the league. But the Tigers, who won their first nine SEC games by about 12 points per game, were tested in the second half by last-place Georgia (6-17, 1-9).

Following Green’s go-ahead layup, Georgia’s Aaron Cook missed a long jumper. A drive by Cook had given Georgia a 72-70 lead before K.D. Johnson tied the game with a layup.

Johnson, who led Auburn with 20 points, transferred to Auburn following his freshman season at Georgia and was loudly booed during pregame introductions.

ATHENS, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 05: Braelen Bridges #23 of the Georgia Bulldogs is charged with an offensive foul as he drives into Wendell Green Jr. #1 of the Auburn Tigers during the second half at Stegeman Coliseum on February 05, 2022 in Athens, Georg

Green had 19 for the Tigers, while standout freshman Jabari Smith had seven points and six rebounds. Walker Kessler had 10 points with nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

Kario Oquendo led Georgia with 25 points, including six in an 11-0 run early in the second half that trimmed Auburn’s lead to 48-47. Jaxon Etter’s 3-pointer capped the burst. Two free throws by Jabri Abdur-Rahim gave the Bulldogs their first lead at 58-56.