Tahaad Pettiford scored a season-high 24 points off the bench, helping lead the visiting No. 1 Auburn Tigers to a 70-68 win over the Georgia Bulldogs in Southeastern Conference play in Athens on Saturday.

Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly added 13 points apiece as the Tigers (17-1, 5-0 SEC) – who led nearly wire-to-wire — won their 10th straight despite shooting just 39.3 percent from the floor (24 of 61).

Asa Newell led Georgia (14-4, 2-3) with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Blue Cain and Tyrin Lawrence each scored 12 points as the Bulldogs, who shot 45.6 percent (26 of 57) from the floor, dropped their second straight.

With Georgia trailing by six down the stretch, Silas Demary Jr. had his pass stolen by Baker-Mazara, who took it in for an Auburn layup with 4:07 remaining. Godfrey’s free throw and Newell’s three-point play cut Georgia’s deficit to four before Pettiford’s floater with 2:35 to go.

Another Newell basket pulled the Bulldogs within five with 1:27 left, but four straight Auburn free throws put the Tigers up 69-60. Dakota Leffew’s layup and Demary’s 3-pointer then cut Auburn’s lead to four. After Jones made one of two free throws, Demary’s layup trimmed Georgia’s deficit to three with nine seconds left.

Georgia had its chances in the final seconds but came up empty. Following an Auburn turnover, Leffew missed a game-tying triple with seven seconds left. After grabbing the offensive rebound, Lawrence split a pair of free throws, but Newell missed a layup as the buzzer sounded.

In the first half, Pettiford’s nine straight points pushed Auburn’s lead to 22-7 before the Tigers extended their advantage to 17 on Ja’Heim Hudson’s layup at the 8:28 mark. Lawrence’s layup and Newell’s 3-pointer began a 13-0 Georgia run, cutting the Bulldogs’ deficit to 26-22 with 4:13 left.

Trailing 28-22, Georgia got five straight points from Justin Abson, stamped with his layup with 1:42 remaining. Pettiford’s 3-pointer and Kelly’s two free throws gave Auburn a 33-27 halftime lead.

Down 39-31 early in the second half after Denver Jones’ layup, Georgia pulled within three on Cain’s five straight points. Somto Cyril’s dunk trimmed Georgia’s deficit to two before Baker-Mazara scored eight straight points, extending the Tigers’ lead to 55-45 at the 10:34 mark.

Still trailing by 10, Georgia cut Auburn’s advantage to 60-54 on RJ Godfrey’s hook shot and Newell’s dunk with 4:46 left.

–Field Level Media