Auburn basketball soars by Georgia on Senior Night to secure double bye in SEC Tournament

AUBURN —There was a party going on in Neville Arena on Saturday.

There was a game, too, but it almost didn't feel like it. The contest against Georgia felt more like a formality than anything else, though it had massive implications for Auburn basketball in the SEC Tournament.

The Tigers were heavy favorites versus the Bulldogs, and they had already earned a 21-point win in Stegeman Coliseum on Feb. 24. Saturday was about celebrating those who were suiting up on the Plains for the final time, including fifth-year forward Jaylin Williams.

Williams, the winningest player in program history at 110 career victories, made the celebrating easy with a ridiculous poster dunk in the first half of Auburn's 92-78 triumph over Georgia (16-15, 6-12 SEC). The Tigers have now secured a top-four seed in the conference, and with it a double bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament.

Auburn (24-7, 13-5) finishes the regular season with a near-perfect record at home; Kentucky was the only team to beat the Tigers in Neville Arena.

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Auburn basketball's Denver Jones peppers Georgia with triples

Florida International transfer Denver Jones has been been heating up, but what he did from beyond the 3-point arc against the Bulldogs was his best work in an Auburn uniform. Jones hit a season-high seven threes, tying his career-best mark.

Jones previously accomplished the feat as a member of the Panthers, going 7-for-7 against Southern Miss in February 2022.

Dime after dime

The Tigers finished with 29 assists on 33 made field goals for an assist percentage of 87.9%. It's the most assists an Auburn team has in coach Bruce Pearl's 10-season tenure.

Alabama-Huntsville transfer Chaney Johnson was particularly impressive in finding his open teammates, dishing five dimes in 17 minutes. He more than doubled his previous season high of two.

Free throws a problem for the Tigers

Auburn made just 15 of its 25 attempts from the foul line. It was an uncharacteristic problem for a team that entered the game hitting its free throws at a 76% rate. It didn't seem to matter much this time, though, as Georgia had its own struggles, going 17-for-30 from the charity stripe.

Next up

The Tigers will play in the SEC Tournament on Friday. They'll matchup with the winner of No. 5 South Carolina vs. No. 12 Arkansas/No. 13 Vanderbilt.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball dismantles Georgia ahead of SEC Tournament