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The last time these two teams played, it was the first game of the SEC regular season for both squads. It was also a harbinger of things to come. The Tigers built a big lead only to see it evaporate in the 2nd half as the Bulldogs left Auburn Arena with the big win.
Now, we're in the second-to-last conference game of the regular season. Georgia is a possible bubble team for the NCAA tournament. Auburn is just hoping to make it to the NIT at this point.
Georgia comes into this game without their leading scorer Yante Maten. He was injured a few weeks ago and hasn't returned. That hasn't exactly slowed them down, though. J.J. Frazier is averaging almost the same amount of points at 18.1 that Maten was at 18.7. The Bulldogs did lose to Kentucky, but they've won four of their last five games and will be coming into this one with a lot of confidence.
For the Tigers, it's almost good that this game is on the road. For some reason, Auburn has been a pretty good road team this year. They've struggled more at home than they have on the road. Auburn will need to play good defense, not take dumb shots, and really have TJ Dunans and Ronnie Johnson on their game to have a shot in this one. It also helps that Austin Wiley is a more seasoned player than he was during the first game between these two teams.
It's a very tough test for the Tigers. It's not an absolute must-win for the NIT, but it's about as close as you can get to one. Auburn still has one more home game against Missouri and then the SEC Tournament, but winning this one and the Mizzou game would almost make the Tigers a lock for the NIT given UGA's resume.
How to Watch, Stream, Listen:
Time: 5:30 pm Central
TV: SEC Network
Stream: WatchESPN
Listen: Auburn Sports Network