No. 2 Auburn routs Georgia 83-60 with 6 in double figures

Updated Jan. 19, 2022 11:21 p.m. ET

Associated Press

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Walker Kessler had 15 points and six blocked shots to lead a half-dozen scorers in double figures for No. 2 Auburn in an 83-60 rout of Georgia on Wednesday night.

The Tigers (17-1, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) built a 25-point lead by halftime and coasted to their 14th consecutive win, tied with Davidson for the nation's longest current streak. It's their best SEC start in 63 years.

Jaylin Williams scored 13 points, while Georgia transfer KD Johnson, Wendell Green Jr. and Jabari Smith all finished with 12. Allen Flanigan added 10 for the Tigers.

They're the only SEC team without a league loss after No. 12 Kentucky's win over Texas A&M.

Green had nine assists and four steals against the Bulldogs (5-13, 0-5), the only SEC team without a league win.

Christian Wright led Georgia with 16 points, going 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. Noah Baummann and Braelen Bridges scored 11 apiece.

Aaron Cook, a so-called super senior, became just the 18th Division I player to play in 150 games and scored nine.

Georgia was without leading scorer Kario Oquendo for undisclosed reasons.

Held scoreless most of the first half, Johnson hit three 3-pointers in a three-minute span against his former team. That hot streak helped the Tigers build a 52-27 lead, their largest halftime advantage of the season.

The Bulldogs got as close as 16 in the second half when Auburn missed eight straight shots.

BIG PICTURE

Georgia lost its seventh straight game and wasn't ever really in this one after the first few minutes.

Auburn didn't slip up two days after becoming the program's third team to rise to No. 2, joining the 1959 and 1999 Tigers. They're are off to their best start in SEC play since opening 12-0 in the 1958-59 season.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Auburn is trying to state a case for the top spot in the rankings after receiving more No. 1 votes than newly top-ranked Gonzaga.

UP NEXT

Georgia visits South Carolina on Saturday.

Auburn hosts No. 12 Kentucky Saturday in perhaps the biggest game at Auburn Arena since it opened in 2010.

___

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25