Bruce Pearl was insistent all week that his players get to the foul line more often. Message received.

The No. 2 Tigers shot 29 free throws, including 23 in the second half, as they pulled away from No. 12 Kentucky in Auburn Arena for an 80-71 victory that almost ensures that Auburn will be atop the rankings on Monday.

It was a far cry from when Auburn shot just nine free throws on Wednesday in the win against Georgia and was a team effort. Six Tigers had at least three attempts, led by K.D. Johnson making 6-of-7, including three clutch ones in the final minute, to put the game out of reach.

“KD does what he does: he makes shots, he makes things happen defensively and got to the foul line,” Pearl said.

The Tigers were almost perfect in the final 20 minutes from the charity line, making 21-of-23 attempts. All of Johnson’s free throws came then, while Jabari Smith Jr. (3-of-3), Allen Flanigan (4-of-4) and Jaylin Williams (3-of-3) all finished perfect from the line. Wendell Green Jr., who scored all 11 points in the second half, went 5-of-6.

That, combined with the Tigers’ lack of turnovers, led to a big win.

“Got the right guys to the line, didn’t turn it over, took care of the ball,” Pearl said. “Got the ball in pressure to a number of different guys.”