The No. 1-ranked Auburn Tigers once again showcased their resilience on Saturday night, grinding out an 82-70 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs to improve their record to 25-2 overall and 13-1 in the SEC. Despite leading throughout the game, the Tigers faced stiff resistance from the Bulldogs, particularly in a challenging first half. Head coach Bruce Pearl emphasized the importance of beating Georgia after the game.
“Beating Georgia matters to Auburn. It matters to me,” Pearl stated. “I believe that’s 13 out of the last 16 and that’s a pretty good stretch against one of your rivals.”
Auburn’s struggles in the first half were apparent as the team managed just 29 points while shooting 31% from the field. Johni Broome, the National Player of the Year frontrunner, carried the offense with 12 first-half points. The Bulldogs’ defense, combined with Auburn’s inability to prepare for Georgia’s zone defense, made scoring a challenge early on.
“We managed to find a few things we could do, that was good,” Pearl said. “We scored 80 points, 59 in the second half. We made some good adjustments in the second half.”
The second half saw a much-improved Auburn offense, with Broome continuing to dominate. The senior forward added 19 points after the break, finishing with a game-high 31 points and 13 rebounds. Guard Miles Kelly credited Broome for anchoring the Tigers’ offensive surge.
“I think we just got back into the flow of things. A big part of that was Johni (Broome),” Kelly explained. “Getting the ball back to him and him just taking over the game, honestly. That’s what happened.”
Broome, while taking pride in his performance, shared credit with his teammates and coaches.
“My teammates got me looks. My coaches got me in the right spots. And then, God just let the ball go through the basket,” Broome remarked.
Denver Jones also contributed significantly with 17 points but found himself in foul trouble during the game. Pearl was quick to defend his player, citing the challenges Jones faced.
“Denver is a good player, but he dives into contact, he throws his head up and the whistle blows,” Pearl said.
With the victory, Auburn edges closer to an SEC regular-season title. The Tigers now shift their focus to Ole Miss, who will visit Auburn on Tuesday night. The game tips off at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
