Auburn needed close to a miracle to send the game against No. 23 Georgia to overtime. Somehow, the Tigers got it as Keyshawn Hall missed a free throw on purpose and the ball ended in the hands of Kevin Overton, who hit a buzzer-beater to tie the game.
Despite the heroics, the Tigers would fall in overtime, getting outscored 12-8 in the five extra minutes to drop the SEC opener against the Bulldogs, 104-100, to drop to 9-5 on the season and 0-1 in conference play.
“Disappointing result,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “It’s hard to win on the road but we put ourselves in positions in a lot of ways to win this game against a ranked opponent. Just came up short.”
Auburn went into halftime down five, but the Tigers put themselves in that position after letting early momentum slip away. Auburn opened the game shooting 10-for-11 from the field, building a seven-point lead before the offense slowed and foul trouble piled up. The Tigers were held without a made field goal over the final four minutes of the half and committed 10 first-half fouls, allowing Georgia to steadily chip away at the lead.
Tahaad Pettiford kept Auburn afloat. Coming off the bench for the first time this season, Pettiford provided an instant spark, scoring 15 points in 15 minutes and knocking down three 3-pointers. Pettiford’s aggressiveness prevented Georgia from pulling away, sending Auburn into the locker room trailing 47–42.
Sluggish start to second half
Auburn’s second half opened sluggishly, going scoreless in the middle of the half and continuing to be hurt by missed free throws. Hall and Filip Jovic were the exceptions, consistently converting at the line, and Jovic’s nine second-half rebounds proved timely in keeping Auburn possessions alive while others struggled. After that slow start, Auburn began pushing the tempo, gradually chipping away at Georgia’s lead. The Tigers erased a nine-point deficit and briefly grabbed the lead with just over five minutes remaining.
The momentum did not last. Turnovers and defensive breakdowns allowed Georgia to respond, pushing their lead back to five with just over three minutes to play. Jovic cut into the deficit at the free-throw line, and Hall followed with his first 3-pointer of the night to make it a two-point game with 2:23 left. Georgia answered with a pair of buckets from Blue Cain, but Pettiford kept Auburn close with a driving layup as the final minute approached.
After a defensive stop highlighted by a Sebastian Williams-Adams block, Pettiford knocked down a jumper in the paint with 25 seconds left to pull Auburn within two. Moments later, Pettiford committed a turnover and two fouls, and Georgia capitalized at the line to stretch the lead. With six seconds remaining, Hall attacked the rim for a layup and drew a foul, converting the free throw to keep Auburn alive. Georgia answered with a quick dunk off a hail mary inbounds, but Hall was fouled again at the buzzer. He made the first two free throws, intentionally missed the third, and Overton secured the rebound and drilled a step back jumper as time expired to force overtime.
“This is the first time we showed ourselves that if you just keep playing, you’ll be okay, no matter the score,” Overton said. “It shows that we have fight. It gives me hope that we have a chance to do something special.”
In overtime, Auburn faced a steep challenge without Pettiford, who had fouled out, and Jovic, who was called for an early, controversial reach-in foul. Georgia took advantage, building an early lead as Auburn struggled to find consistent offense. Hall kept the Tigers close with aggressive drives, but critical misses and turnovers prevented a comeback. Despite Overton’s efforts, including a 3-pointer and a layup, Georgia gradually pulled away, ultimately winning 104–100.
It was an exciting but tough loss for Auburn, highlighting both the team’s resiliency and areas that need improvement. The Tigers have a lot to work on as they prepare for their first SEC home game, taking on Texas A&M on Tuesday, Jan. 6 in Neville Arena.