ATHENS, Ga. – With the game on the line, Bruce Pearl called Chuma Okeke's number. The sophomore big man delivered by knocking down the go-ahead 3-point shot with 24 seconds left to lift Auburn past Georgia, 78-75, on the road Wednesday night.
"This was a great win for our program," Pearl said. "Not since 1979 have we won four straight against Georgia. Just a tremendous team effort. We had to overcome a lot of adversity."
The game-winning 3 by Okeke came off an out-of-bounds play with just three seconds to go on the shot clock. Typically, Okeke is the one who inbounds the ball. However, Pearl knew time was of the essence and so he wanted size on the catch. He wanted the 6-foot-8 Okeke to catch it and either drive to the hoop or take the shot if it was open.
"Coach drew the play up for me," Okeke said. "He had enough trust in me with the ball in my hands. He just said, 'If they play off, let it fly.'"
"We all have confidence in Chuma," added Auburn point guard Jared Harper. "He's a great player. Initially, he was supposed to catch it and look to go to the rim. But the whole play was set up for him. The guy gave him space. Coach (Pearl) told him if he backs up, let it go. We all have the confidence in him to make the shot."
It was the second 3 of the game for Okeke, a Georgia native, who finished with 13 points, a team-high six rebounds and made some key plays on both ends down the stretch for Auburn.
Harper, who also hails from the Peach State, scored a game-high 22 points and added five assists. The junior was 7 of 15 from the field and 5 of 10 from beyond the arc. He's now averaging 20.2 points and 6.2 assists per game in his last four games against Georgia.
"As a leader, it was up to me to step up and to produce for my team," Harper said. "This was a big game for us. It was kind of a do-or-die game for us. I knew I had to step up, and I knew I had great teammates to make big plays."
That sense of urgency from Auburn was evident early as the Tigers jumped out to a quick lead behind the deep ball. They knocked down five straight 3s at one point in the first half and took a 50-40 lead into the locker room after the first 20 minutes. It was the ninth time this season that they have scored 50 or more points in a half and the fourth time they have done it in the first half.
However, with Auburn struggling to find its rhythm after halftime, Georgia went on a run of its own and clawed back to re-take the lead near the midway point of the second half.
As the two went back-and-forth, credit Horace Spencer for turning the momentum back in Auburn's favor. With six minutes remaining, the senior crashed the boards and threw down a put-back dunk to give the Tigers the lead. They went on a mini 6-0 run after that.
Spencer finished with 10 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.
"I thought Horace Spencer showed great leadership as a senior coming off the bench," Pearl said. "Bottom line, this was a game we had to have. It's a road win in the SEC. Those are hard to come by. Now we have to go get ready for Mississippi State on Saturday, a team that's playing as good as anybody in our league right now."
Auburn was without Austin Wiley and Malik Dunbar in Wednesday's game, but Pearl is hopeful one or possibly both can return by the time the Tigers (19-9, 8-7) host Mississippi State on Saturday. The game is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPNU.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf