ATHENS — Georgia basketball took No. 1 Auburn to the final seconds, falling short in a breathtaking finish when Christian Wright’s half-court shot bounced harmlessly off the top of the backboard.
The Tigers, ranked No. 1 and 16 point favorites, could finally exhale.
Auburn guard Wendell Green Jr. had driven down the court moments earlier, scoring the game-winning basket with 3.6 seconds left for the 74-72 victory at a jam-packed Stegeman Coliseum.
There was some controversy over whether Green charged on Jaxson Etter, voiced by Etter and Coach Tom Crean, but there was no call.
The Bulldogs, led by Kario Oquendo’s 25 points, had their chances to pull off the upset after trailing by 15 points in the first half.
“I knew it was going to come down to whoever made the one play to win the game,” Oquendo said. “It was the hardest we played and the best we played.
“We put it all out there and lost on a last-second shot.”
Noah Baumann missed an open 3-pointer with 13 seconds left, setting up Auburn’s dramatic drive and finish.
The Tigers improved to 22-1 and 10-0 in the SEC with the win, while UGA is 6-17 and 1-9.
The explosive Oquendo had ignited a pivotal 11-0 Georgia run early in the second half with a leaner in the paint.
The Bulldogs’ offensive burst brought the crowd to its feet and UGA within one at 48-47 on Jaxson Etter’s 3-pointer at the 15:13 mark, UGA making 9 of its first 12 shots of the second half.
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl had seen enough, calling for a timeout in an attempt to stem Georgia’s momentum.
It didn’t work.
Georgia continued to battle, winning loose-ball scrambles and taking a 58-56 lead at the 8:20 mark on a pair of Jabri Abdur-Rahim free throws.
The teams stayed within four points of one another the remainder of the afternoon, with Georgia tied or leading the final 3 1/2 minutes, until Green’s game-winner.
“The team as a whole played together, and we lit a spark of belief in each other,”. said Etter, who had 13 points and 2 steals. “That’s what we can do and what we have to keep doing.
“We see what we can do against the No. 1 team in the country, we just have to keep going.”
Georgia’s SEC victory this season came against Alabama, when the Bulldogs were a 14 1/2-point underdog.
It’s a team that hasn’t given up, even if its lack of size and high-profile recruits has made things difficult on fourth-year coach Tom Crean.
Auburn held a 42-30 lead at the half, dominating almost every facet of the game with the exception of free throws.
The Bulldogs could have easily led or been tied if not for struggles in the paint, the preseason knee injuries to graduate transfer power forwards and team captains Jailyn Ingram and P.J. Horne continuing to limit the program.
As it was, Georgia managed to stay tied through the opening minutes, 8-8 on two Braelen Bridges free throws at the 15:37 mark.
Time and time again, Georgia missed shots at the rim, inexplicably off the mark within 3 feet of the goal.
“We were down 10 and we had six point-blank missed shots, and I don’t know how many first-half free throws we missed,” Etter said. “We were right here. That’s what was being preached at halftime.
“It’s a 10-point ball game against the No. 1 team in the country, and we should be winning. That was the halftime speech that lit us on fire.”
Gonzaga point guard transfer Aaron Cook also had issues shooting early, 2-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-5 from the free-throw line. Cook finished with 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the floor and 2 of 6 from the free-throw line.
Green scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half for Auburn, which was led by KD Johnson’s 20 points on 8-of-22 shooting.
Johnson, who played with the Bulldogs last season, had heated words with the UGA fans in the first half.
At the time, the emotion seemed moot, as the Tigers were having their way early.
The Bulldogs were out-shot (47 percent to 21 percent) and out-rebounded (24-18) by wide margins, but their ability to draw contact kept them in the game.
Georgia was 16-of-22 shooting from the free-throw line, while Auburn was 5-of-8 from the charity stripe.
It was enough to keep the Bulldogs’ within striking distance entering the second half.
Georgia returns to action at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Florida (TV: SEC Network).
