'KCP' comes up big again as Dogs win another conference game

ATHENS -- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to help Georgia beat Auburn 57-49 on Wednesday night.

The Bulldogs (9-11, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) have won three of four.

Frankie Sullivan and Allen Payne each finished with 13 points for Auburn (8-12, 2-5). The Tigers, who have dropped five straight, matched their season-low in points and shot a season-worst 28.3 percent.

Caldwell-Pope, Georgia's leading scorer in 18 of 20 games this season, gave the Bulldogs a four-point lead with a putback at the 1:09 mark and followed with two free throws to make it 53-47 with 31 seconds left.

Georgia began the game ranked No. 325 in the nation in scoring, but Auburn was the team that struggled all night offensively.

Sullivan, the SEC's third-leading scorer, didn't produce a point until the 8:45 mark of the first half, but hit a 3 early in the second half that brought the Tigers within one, at 28-27.

Auburn went nearly 7 full minutes without a basket in the second half until Jordan Price's layup cut the lead to 34-33 with 10:53 remaining.

The Tigers, who visit No. 17 Missouri on Saturday, failed to score a field goal in the final 2:42.

In the last 1:14 of the first half, the teams combined for three turnovers and four fouls. The only points came on two free throws by Sullivan, who was fouled on a 3-point attempt by Kenny Gaines with less than 1 second remaining.

Georgia led 26-22 at halftime.

Neither team led by more than six points until Vincent Williams hit a pair of free throws to end the scoring in the final seconds.

Chris Denson added 12 points for Auburn.