Dogs' upset bid vs. No. 1 Auburn falls just short

ATHENS, Ga. — Tahaad Pettiford hit 5 of 7 shots from 3-point range, scoring 24 off the bench to help No. 1 Auburn escape No. 23 Georgia with a 70-68 win on Saturday.

Auburn (17-1, 5-0 SEC) has won 10 in a row and a second straight game without star Johni Broome, who injured his ankle in a Jan. 11 win over South Carolina.

Georgia (14-4, 2-3) struggled with free throws, making 9 of 20 from the line.

Takeaways
Auburn: The Tigers earned a Top 25 win without leading scorer Broome (17.9 points per game).

Georgia: The Bulldogs suffered their first home loss of the season (11-1). The loss snapped a 13-game winning streak at Stegeman Coliseum — the fourth longest home winning streak in program history.

Key moment
Down 70-67 with nine seconds to play in regulation, Georgia had a chance to tie the game at 70 after a Miles Kelly turnover led to Dakota Leffew getting a look from 3 with seven seconds to go. His shot was too strong. Asa Newell had a chance to tie it at the buzzer, but missed.

Key stat
The Tigers tallied 32 points off the bench in Broome's absence.

Up next
Auburn hosts No. 6 Tennessee on Jan 25. Georgia visits Arkansas on Tuesday night.

Georgia guard Tyrin Lawrence (7) shoots the ball over Auburn center Dylan Cardwell (44) and Auburn forward Jahki Howard (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Athens, Ga.

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