No. 2 Auburn routs Georgia 83-60 with 6 in double figures
AP
Jan 20, 2022
Auburn Tigers, Ala. (AP) Streaking Auburn didn't let up even with its highest ranking in more than two decades and a bigger game looming.
Walker Kessler had 15 points and six blocked shots to lead a half-dozen scorers in double figures for No. 2 Auburn in an 83-60 rout of Georgia Bulldogs on Wednesday night. Next up: No. 12 Kentucky on Saturday.
''We didn't talk about Kentucky at all coming into this game,'' point guard Wendell Green Jr. said. ''We always want to respect our opponent no matter what their record is, and that's what we did tonight.''
The Tigers (17-1, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) built a 25-point lead by halftime and coasted to their 14th consecutive win, tied with Davidson for the nation's longest current streak. It's their best SEC start in 63 years after flirting with the program's first No. 1 ranking.
Jaylin Williams scored 13 points, while Georgia transfer K.D. Johnson, Green and Jabari Smith all finished with 12. Allen Flanigan added 10 for the Tigers.
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said the Tigers played ''pretty well'' in the first half.
''You know, we got outplayed in the second half,'' Pearl said. ''Georgia played hard the whole time, as you knew they would, but we did what we needed to do.''
The Tigers are the only SEC team without a league loss after No. 12 Kentucky's win over Texas A&M.
Green had 11 assists and four steals against the Bulldogs (5-13, 0-5), the only SEC team without a league win.
''Wendell did such a special job getting the ball to the right people at the right time,'' Pearl said. ''Wendell was having fun out there, which I love to see.''
Christian Wright led Georgia with 16 points, going 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. Noah Baummann and Braelen Bridges scored 11 apiece.
Aaron Cook, a so-called super senior, became just the 18th Division I player to play in 150 games and scored nine.
Georgia was without leading scorer Kario Oquendo with a lower body injury, which coach Tom Crean said was a pregame decision.
Held scoreless most of the first half, Johnson hit three 3-pointers in a three-minute span against his former team. That hot streak helped the Tigers build a 52-27 lead, their largest halftime advantage of the season.
The Bulldogs got as close as 16 in the second half when Auburn missed eight straight shots.
''We had a chance and it's still a long game with eight minutes left and then we had a couple of costly turnovers and they capitalized,'' Crean said. ''They do a really good job of capitalizing.''
Auburn attempted a season-high 36 3-pointers, making 10.
BIG PICTURE
Georgia lost its seventh straight game and wasn't ever really in this one after the first few minutes. Was outrebounded 41-31.
Auburn became the program's third team to rise to No. 2 on Monday, joining the 1959 and 1999 Tigers. They're are off to their best start in SEC play since opening 12-0 in the 1958-59 season. That's the only other 6-0 league start in program history.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Auburn is trying to state a case for the top spot in the rankings after receiving more No. 1 votes than newly top-ranked Gonzaga.
UP NEXT
Georgia visits South Carolina on Saturday.
Auburn hosts No. 12 Kentucky Saturday in perhaps the biggest game at Auburn Arena since it opened in 2010. ''It'll be a clash of the titans for sure,'' Pearl said.
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1st Half
UGA
Bulldogs
27
AUB
Tigers
52
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Braelen Bridges vs. Walker Kessler (Zep Jasper gains possession)
19:43
Jabari Smith turnover (lost ball) (Christian Wright steals)
19:16
+2
Christian Wright makes two point jump shot (Jaxon Etter assists)
2-0
19:03
Zep Jasper misses three point jump shot
19:01
K.D. Johnson offensive rebound
18:54
K.D. Johnson misses three point jump shot
18:52
Walker Kessler offensive rebound
18:48
Walker Kessler misses two point jump shot
18:46
Tigers offensive rebound
18:46
+2
Walker Kessler makes two point jump shot (Jabari Smith assists)
2-2
18:23
Walker Kessler blocks Noah Baumann's two point layup
18:21
Jabari Smith defensive rebound
18:14
Jabari Smith misses three point jump shot
18:12
Noah Baumann defensive rebound
18:04
Official timeout
17:48
Walker Kessler blocks Braelen Bridges's two point layup
17:46
Braelen Bridges offensive rebound
17:40
+2
Braelen Bridges makes two point layup
4-2
17:17
K.D. Johnson misses three point jump shot
17:15
Aaron Cook defensive rebound
17:07
Jaxon Etter misses three point jump shot
17:05
Jabari Smith defensive rebound
16:57
+3
Allen Flanigan makes three point jump shot (K.D. Johnson assists)
4-5
16:33
Jabari Smith personal foul (Braelen Bridges draws the foul)
16:16
Braelen Bridges misses two point jump shot
16:14
Jabari Smith defensive rebound
16:02
K.D. Johnson misses three point jump shot
16:00
Jaxon Etter defensive rebound
15:51
+2
Braelen Bridges makes two point jump shot (Aaron Cook assists)
6-5
15:26
+3
Allen Flanigan makes three point jump shot
6-8
15:02
Dylan Cardwell shooting foul (Jaxon Etter draws the foul)
15:02
TV timeout
15:02
+1
Jaxon Etter makes regular free throw 1 of 2
7-8
15:02
Jaxon Etter misses regular free throw 2 of 2
15:02
Allen Flanigan defensive rebound
14:48
Allen Flanigan misses two point jump shot
14:46
Noah Baumann defensive rebound
14:37
Jaxon Etter turnover (bad pass)
14:14
Wendell Green Jr. misses three point jump shot
14:12
Noah Baumann defensive rebound
14:02
Dylan Cardwell personal foul (Aaron Cook draws the foul)
13:42
Bulldogs turnover (shot clock violation)
13:30
+2
Walker Kessler makes two point alley-oop dunk (Wendell Green Jr. assists)
7-10
13:21
Aaron Cook turnover (lost ball) (Jaylin Williams steals)
13:14
Wendell Green Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Aaron Cook steals)
13:09
Noah Baumann misses two point jump shot
13:07
Devan Cambridge defensive rebound
13:07
Dalen Ridgnal personal foul (Wendell Green Jr. draws the foul)
12:57
+2
Wendell Green Jr. makes two point layup
7-12
12:43
Aaron Cook misses two point jump shot
12:41
Walker Kessler defensive rebound
12:32
+2
Wendell Green Jr. makes two point jump shot
7-14
12:31
Bulldogs 30 second timeout
12:15
Aaron Cook misses two point jump shot
12:13
Walker Kessler defensive rebound
12:05
Wendell Green Jr. misses three point jump shot
12:03
Jaylin Williams offensive rebound
11:58
+2
Jaylin Williams makes two point layup
7-16
11:41
+2
Aaron Cook makes two point layup
9-16
11:25
+3
Jaylin Williams makes three point jump shot (Wendell Green Jr. assists)
9-19
11:05
TV timeout
11:02
+2
Aaron Cook makes two point jump shot (Braelen Bridges assists)
11-19
10:39
Jabari Smith misses three point jump shot
10:37
Dalen Ridgnal defensive rebound
10:18
Christian Wright turnover (traveling)
10:07
Devan Cambridge misses three point jump shot
10:05
Dalen Ridgnal defensive rebound
10:00
+2
Christian Wright makes two point layup
13-19
10:00
Devan Cambridge shooting foul (Christian Wright draws the foul)
10:00
+1
Christian Wright makes regular free throw 1 of 1
14-19
9:45
+2
Jabari Smith makes two point jump shot (Devan Cambridge assists)