Auburn, Ala. (EETV)- Coach Johnnie Harris and the Auburn Tigers successfully pull off the upset against No. 18 Georgia Tech winning 59-51 in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday. With the win, Harris and the Tigers move to 2-2 on the season.
"I saw it in their eyes. They wanted it. They want to win. They want to be good," said head coach Johnnie Harris. "They fight, but they’ve got a fighter with them. We’re in this fight together."
Georgia Tech failed to come back after Auburn took a significant 19-6 first-quarter lead as the Tigers came out of the starting blocks on a blistering pace shooting 61% from the floor and 66% from three. Auburn's pace slowed a bit in the second quarter but they still managed to outscore the Yellow Jackets 14-10.
Junior guard Honesty Scott-Grayson did not take a break all game and led both teams in scoring with 18 points. The Baylor transfer also led Auburn in the rebound and assist categories with six and three respectively.
"I can't even explain it. I'm just excited," Scott-Grayson said. "It was good to get a team win. I felt like we came out with energy, we came out with a game plan and we followed the plan. We were self-disciplined and we took care of our business today."
Sophomore guard Aicha Coulibaly was second in scoring on Auburn with 14 points. The Mali native went 6-for-13 from the floor with five rebounds and two assists.
Auburn’s defense held firm against the Yellow Jackets, limiting them to a season-low 35.2% shooting from the field and 18.2% from three-point range. The Tigers generated 15 turnovers with seven steals. Freshman guard Mar’Shaun Bostic led the charge with three steals despite coming off the bench.
The Tiger defense held Georgia Tech scoreless in the final 7 minutes of the first quarter and closed the game out by allowing only two points in the final two minutes of the game. Both points going from the foul stripe.
"We made them uncomfortable, we made them score in ways they weren't used to scoring,” Harris said.
This marks the Tigers' first ranked win on the road since they defeated No. 16 Vanderbilt in 2014.
Auburn extends its winning streak to two games and hopes to continue its winning ways against Little Rock, Wednesday, November 24th at noon C.T. in the Jack Stephens Center.
