Feb. 10, 2018
ATHENS, Ga. -- Jared Harper scored 24 points and added seven assists, while Mustapha Heron poured in 19 points as No. 8 Auburn earned a 78-61 victory at Georgia. The Tigers (22-3, 10-2 SEC) have swept the Bulldogs (13-11, 4-8) for the first time since 1986.
"It was a great win for Auburn," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "We were without Bryce Brown -- our best defensive guard and our leading scorer. You could see our guys weren't intimidated. They were prepared and it was next man up. The guard play for Auburn was terrific. Jared Harper quarterbacked his team and was at a different speed, quickness and efficiency."
Harper's team-best 24 points matched a career-high and came on 8 of 13 shooting, including 4 of 7 from behind the arc.
In his second career start filling in for Brown, Malik Dunbar rattled in seven points and pulled down six boards through a season-high 26 minutes of action.
Davion Mitchell contributed seven points and two assists, while Desean Murray had five points and a team-best seven rebounds.
Auburn was able to force 13 turnovers and took advantage of the opportunities with 25 points off turnovers compared to just nine for Georgia.
The Tigers won the battle down low as well with a 31-27 edge in rebounding and 30-26 margin in points in the paint.
Auburn asserted its dominance from the opening tip and shot over 55 percent from the floor in the first half as the road team took a 40-31 lead into the locker room.
Despite a slow offensive start in the second half, the Tigers extended their by as much as 17 before earning a 78-61 victory on the road.
Georgia was led by Yante Maten with 20 points. Rayshaun Hammonds and Juwan Parker also added 14 points apiece and combined for nine rebounds.
Auburn returns to the court Wednesday night for a battle with No. 24 Kentucky. Tip time at Auburn Arena is set for 8 p.m. CT on the Auburn Sports Network and ESPN2.