ATHENS, Ga. | Nothing was falling for Chad Baker-Mazara. After hitting a three less than a minute into the game, the forward finished the rest of the first half 0-of-7 with just the three points.

He wouldn't be kept down long. After Georgia cut the lead to two with 13:36 left in the game, Baker-Mazara went on an 8-0 run by himself, capping it with a three-pointer to put the Tigers up 55-45.

"Chad is a very special player, and I'm sure that he appreciated that we kept on trusting him, and he delivered," Bruce Pearl said.

The senior finished with 13 points in the 70-68 win for No. 1 Auburn. His defense was phenomenal, committing just two fouls while coming down with six boards and an assist when the Tigers needed it the most. The only thing he failed to do was get to the free-throw line, where he has excelled, shooting 92.3 percent from the charity stripe.

As his teammate Tahaad Pettiford explains, Baker-Mazara does everything needed to ensure Auburn walks off the floor victorious.

"It's amazing," the freshman guard said. "You never know what you're gonna get out of Chad. He may give you six steals or 30 points. Whatever he does, he's gonna make a big impact. We're just here for it."