ATHENS, Ga. — Tahaad Pettiford hit 5 of 7 shots from 3-point range, scoring 24 off the bench to help No. 1 Auburn escape No. 23 Georgia with a 70-68 win Saturday.
Auburn (17-1, 5-0 SEC) has won 10 in a row and a second straight game without star Johni Broome, who injured his ankle in a Jan. 11 win over South Carolina.
Georgia (14-4, 2-3) struggled with free throws, making 9 of 20 from the line.
The Bulldogs suffered their first home loss of the season (11-1), snapping a 13-game winning streak at Stegeman Coliseum — the fourth-longest home winning streak in program history.
Down 70-67 with nine seconds to play in regulation, Georgia had a chance to tie the game at 70 after a Miles Kelly turnover led to Dakota Leffew getting a look from 3 with seven seconds to go. His shot was too strong. Asa Newell had a chance to tie it at the buzzer, but missed.
The win improves Auburn to 6-1 against AP Top 25 opponents this season, the best record of any team. It ties its most wins against AP ranked opponents in a single season in the AP Poll era (since 1948-49), according to ESPN Research.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.