MA Moncrieffe sank one free throw, then another.
Georgia's forward had air-balled a free throw earlier in the game. But when his team needed him, Moncrieffe made both ends of a one-and-one to give the Bulldogs a 68-55 lead over Auburn at Stegeman Coliseum.
That play served as a microcosm of Georgia's resilience on Wednesday night, as the Bulldogs (11-3, 1-0 SEC) secured a 76-64 upset win over No. 22 Auburn (11-3, 1-1).
"This is one game. We’ve got 17 more, right?" Georgia head coach Mike White said after the game. "We’ve got a ways to go. It’s really tough task in front of us. But we were connected tonight. Our responses to adversity have gotten a lot better. We were, in the preseason and the first few games, wins included and losses especially, some of us were worried about the wrong stuff.
You’re going to get punched in the mouth a lot in SEC basketball. How you respond will determine whether or not you’ve got a chance at the end of the game."
Georgia scored the first five points of the night. The Bulldogs eventually built a first-half lead to 21-10.
But an 11-0 run from Auburn erased that advantage. The Tigers dominated the offensive glass in the first half, with 12 offensive rebounds and 13 second-chance points.
But the Bulldogs responded again, using a 16-9 run to close the half and take a 37-30 lead into halftime.
"They’re a really good team, really physical team, big," Moncrieffe said. "They’re definitely going to make a run and hit some tough shots. But Coach White has just been preaching, stay composed and stay poised. That’s just what we try to do in our huddles, talk it out and figure out how we could get it done."
Moncrieffe said the entire staff challenged him to have more of a presence on the glass heading into SEC play. He came into the game focused not on missed or made shots, but on rebounding instead.
That focus helped him lead the Bulldogs with nine rebounds. He and the rest of Georgia's team held their own against the Tigers on the glass, especially as the game wore on.
"The ball bounced to us a couple of times," White said. "Twenty-one offensive rebounds could have been 24 or 25. But were we flying around and trying? Yeah, we really were. I thought our guys played incredibly hard. That’s what it’s going to take night in and night out to be competitive in this league."
Auburn pulled to within four on several occasions in the second half. But every time, Georgia answered the next few points of the game.
The killer blow came after the Tigers made the score 57-53 with 7:58 remaining.
On Georgia's next possession, guard Justin Hill knocked down a 3-pointer. A layup from forward Braelen Bridges followed. Guard Terry Roberts then capped off the 9-0 run with a layup and two made free throws. Just like that, the Bulldogs led 66-53.
Roberts had by far his best night as a Bulldog. He tied a career-high with 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting. That point total is tied for sixth-best among Georgia players against Auburn this century.
"The game has slowed for him a little bit, as it does for most point guards," White said. "It’s surprising it happened in the first SEC game as opposed to the seventh or third. Hopefully, again, there’s not a step backward and then two steps forward. For him, he played really well. That is a high-level point guard game in this league against a high-level defense. Hopefully, he’s got a few more of those in him."
Georgia didn't look back from there, holding the Tigers at arm's length for the 12-point win. The Bulldog defense suffocated Auburn all night, holding the Tigers to 34.8% shooting. That total is the third-worst for the Tigers against Georgia under Bruce Pearl.
A win over Auburn is something few saw coming to kick off conference play, especially in that kind of fashion. Of the 40 minutes of game time on Wednesday night, the Bulldogs led by 38:28. Moncrieffe said the team has a chip on its shoulder coming from those who doubted the team in the preseason prognostications.
White's glad his team is off to a fast start in league play. But the SEC veteran also knows there's not much time for celebrating.
"Hopefully we gain confidence from it. I want our guys to feel good about it. I want our guys to celebrate this win," White said. "Any win in this league is very difficult. We just beat a ranked opponent. Our guys have been through a lot. I want them to feel good about it. That said, feel good about it for about two hours because here comes another and then another and then another. This is a grueling league."
