AUBURN | Bruce Pearl has won a lot of games in his 27 years — 612 to be exact — but Wednesday night’s overtime victory at Mississippi State is one that will rank among his favorites.

Auburn clinched its fourth-ever SEC regular season championship and second under Pearl with an 81-68 win at Humphrey Coliseum.

“I'd say this is probably one of the best regular season wins I've had in a long career, to win a championship on the road at a really good place against a really good team and a really good coach, with our backs up against the wall,” said Pearl.

“Mississippi State had the building rocking, they were playing great, and just somehow our guys sucked it up. I think it's because they're competitors and they wanted this championship. Mississippi State wasn't going to give it to us and we took it.”

It was a game of extremes.

The Tigers built a 19-point lead in the first half only to see the Bulldogs cut that lead to 12 at the break with a 6-0 run. MSU continued their hot play in the second half beginning with a 13-5 run to get within four and taking a 5-point lead with a 13-0 run.

A jumper by Jabari Smith with 51 seconds left sent it to overtime tied at 61-all, and then it was Auburn that turned on the afterburners.

Using a three-guard lineup for the first time this season, K.D. Johnson took over scoring 12 of AU’s 20 points to pull away for a 13-point win.

It came in front of a large group of Auburn fans that made the trip to Starkville.

“You do feel a responsibility to try to reward this Auburn family, with all its support,” said Pearl. “People take time off work, you've got travel, families -- but they wanted to see history made. They wanted to be here when we won this championship.”

It gives Pearl three championships in eight seasons at Auburn. He’s won regular season championships in 2018 and 2022 and an SEC Tournament championship along with a trip to the Final Four in 2019.

The Tigers can win the title outright and clinch the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament with a win over South Carolina Saturday in the final regular season game of the year.

Tip-off at Neville Arena is schedule for noon CT on SEC Network.