Okeke saves Auburn, helps Tigers beat Georgia, 78-75

Samir Doughty (10)
Auburn men’s basketball vs Georgia on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, in
Athens, Ga. Photo: Wade Rackley /Auburn Athletics

On a late Wednesday night in Athens, Georgia, the Auburn Tigers needed a hero to step up and save the day. To the rescue was none other than Atlanta native Chuma Okeke.

With 27 seconds to go and 3 seconds on the shot clock, the inbound pass found Okeke on the right wing, who then proceeded to make a deep three as the shot clock expired.

Game winning shot by Chuma!

Auburn 78 Georgia 75 Final pic.twitter.com/kXcqSI2zhY

— Power of Dixieland (@PwrofDixieland) February 28, 2019

Auburn then played tremendous defense on the last possession that ended with UGA’s Tyree Crump shooting an off-balance prayer that fell well short of the basket.

A loss in this matchup would have been very frustrating. Georgia entered the contest a mere 1-13 in conference play and hadn’t won a game since beating Texas on January 26.

Auburn came out slow but picked it up towards the end of the first half, shooting 40% from downtown in the first 20 minutes of action. The Tigers led 50-40 at halftime despite Austin Wiley and Malik Dunbar both being held out due to minor injuries.

Jared Harper had an outstanding night on the offensive end finishing with 22 points. He shot 5 of 10 from three and also added 5 assists. Okeke and Horance Spencer were the only other Tigers who scored in double figures.

As a team, the Tigers shot 45% from the field and 36% from behind the arc. That was a little below the normal 38% 3-point percentage, but was still a pretty positive night for Auburn as far as shooting goes.

The worry was on the defensive end, as Georgia outscored Auburn by 7 in the second half. UGA shot 60% from the floor after intermission as Claxton and Ogbeide, the two main bigs, scored 14 and 13, respectively.

Nicolas Claxton, Georgia’s best player, was relatively quiet aside from a big 3 to tie the game before Auburn’s last possession.

Auburn’s road woes continue to linger around and scare fans, but this time Bruce Pearl and company handled business extending their winning streak over rival Georgia to four games for the first time since 1980. The Tigers also picked up a valuable “Quadrant 2” win, which matters when it comes to seeding in the NCAA tournament.

Next up, the Tigers return home to face a tough Mississippi State team that is 21-7 and 9-6 in SEC play. The Bulldogs are coming off a home win over Missouri and will look to clinch the season sweep after defeating Auburn in Starkville earlier this season.

Auburn (19-9) will try to build off the Georgia win and earn their 20th victory on the season if they can somehow defeat State, but it will take a team effort as well as a rowdy Jungle, so make sure you come and support the Tigers as March Madness draws near. War Eagle!