Published Jan 30, 2020
Auburn needs crazy wins to win crazy league
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Bryan Matthews  •  AuburnSports
Senior Editor
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@BMattAU

AUBURN | It was a wild win for No. 17 Auburn Tuesday night in Oxford. It may take a few more of those for the Tigers to win their second SEC regular season championship in three years.

Auburn’s 19-point rally for a win in double overtime over Ole Miss was the third-best comeback in program history. Only a 22-point comeback over Louisville in 1995 and a 20-point comeback over the Rebels in 2011 rank higher.

“These are the kind of wins you’ve got to have if we’re going to hang in there with this thing,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl after the win over Ole Miss. “It’s a crazy league. It’s just a crazy league.”

The Tigers' win was just one of several wild finishes Tuesday including Missouri overcoming a 20-point deficit to beat Georgia 72-69, Mississippi State rallying from a 16-point deficit in a 78-71 win at Florida and Texas A&M upsetting Tennessee on the road 63-58.

It wasn’t quite as chaotic Wednesday night but Vanderbilt, which has now lost an SEC-record 25 consecutive conference games, actually led Kentucky by seven points in the second half in Lexington before the Wildcats stormed back for a 71-62 win.

Auburn will host Kentucky Saturday with a chance to tie the Wildcats for second-place in the league standings. The atmosphere should be charged with ESPN’s college basketball GameDay broadcasting from Auburn Arena for the first-time ever.

“We are very excited about that,” Pearl said. “It is the AUtlive game — just another reminder for everyone to come in here and buy our T-shirts for the AUtlive game. It should be a very special environment. All of the college basketball world, all of the eyes will be on Auburn, Alabama.”

Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on ESPN.

SEC STANDINGS

1. LSU 7-0, 16-4

2. Kentucky 6-1, 16-4

3. Auburn 5-2, 18-2

4. Mississippi State 4-3, 13-7

4. Alabama 4-3, 12-8

4. South Carolina 4-3, 12-8

4. Florida 4-3, 12-8

4. Tennessee 4-3, 12-8

4. Texas A&M 4-3, 10-9

10. Arkansas 3-4, 15-5

11. Missouri 2-5, 10-10

12. Georgia 1-6, 11-9

12. Ole Miss 1-6, 10-10

14. Vanderbilt 0-7, 8-12

SATURDAY GAMES

No. 13 Kentucky at No. 17 Auburn

Ole Miss at No. 22 LSU

Texas A&M at Georgia

Tennessee at Mississippi State

Missouri at South Carolina

Arkansas at Alabama

Florida at Vanderbilt