Green’s late layup sends No. 1 Auburn past Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Wendell Green Jr. says a last-second win over the last-place team in the Southeastern Conference just shows the strength of No. 1 Auburn.

Green made a tiebreaking layup with four seconds remaining and the Tigers got past Georgia 74-72 Saturday, extending the nation’s longest winning streak to 19 games.

“We’ve just got winners, no matter what the circumstance is,” Green said. “... We’ve got big-time players that make big-time plays.”

Auburn (22-1, 10-0 SEC) continued its dominant run through the league. But the Tigers, who won their first nine SEC games by about 12 points per game, were tested in the second half by Georgia (6-17, 1-9).

“Wendell is a winner,” coach Bruce Pearl said. “I’ll take my chances with him and the ball in a game-winner every day.”

Georgia coach Tom Crean said Green should have been called on a charge as Jaxon Etter was knocked to the floor on the decisive layup.

“Every referee describes to you if a man is retreating like Jaxon was and he’s outside of the cylinder that it’s an offensive foul,” Crean said before pausing, perhaps in an attempt to avoid a fine.

Asked again about the play, Crean said, “I have zero interest in sending one dollar to the SEC ... but I would just say that everything that’s been described to me in drawing charges, I would say that would be textbook.”

Following Green’s go-ahead layup, Georgia’s Aaron Cook missed a long jumper from near half-court.

K.D. Johnson, who led Auburn with 20 points, said the Tigers’ ability to recover after losing a big lead of 15 points shows “we’re becoming a great team and we’re comfortable with any situation.”

Johnson, who transferred to Auburn following his 2020-21 freshman season at Georgia, was loudly booed during pregame