Bruce Pearl describes how extra rest aided Auburn in win vs. Georgia

After falling to Kentucky at home last Saturday in one of the most highly anticipated games in the SEC this season, Auburn bounced back this weekend. Defeating Georgia on the road in dominant fashion with a 97-76 win over the Bulldogs.

The Tigers were clicking on all cylinders following a full week of rest, scoring the most points on the road versus an SEC opponent since they posted 109 points versus South Carolina in January of 2021.

After the game, head coach Bruce Pearl was asked how not having any games during the week impacted his team. With him believing that the bye week at large has benefited its recipients in the SEC throughout the season.

“I think it helped us from a standpoint of rest physically and mentally,” Pearl said.

“I don’t know what the math will tell you guys, this is the last weekend of the bye. Did South Carolina have the bye also?” Pearl asked the media. “And they went to Ole Miss and won, I bet you the teams that had the week off, I bet you they did well in their first game.”

The Gamecocks did also celebrate a double-digit victory this weekend in their win over Ole Miss. But they did not do it quite in the way that Auburn was able to.

The Tigers had a lights-out performance shooting the ball on Saturday, making 62.1% of their shots from the field and 53.8% of them from behind the three-point line. Burying 14 three-pointers on the night while also boasting their best field goal percentage in a game since the 2013-2014 season.

Auburn’s week of rest still did not give star forward Jaylin Williams enough time to recover from a leg injury he suffered against Kentucky. As the Tigers’ second-leading scorer would travel to Saturday’s game but was not able to play.

As a result, Pearl gave junior college transfer Chad Baker-Mazara the first start of his Auburn career on Saturday after joining the team this offseason. Which ended up being a wise move on the veteran head coach’s part.

Pearl called Baker-Mazara the ‘best player on the floor tonight’ after he led the Tigers with a career-high 25 points versus Georgia. Getting off to a red-hot start after hitting two-three pointers in the first four minutes of the game and ending the first half with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field.

Baker-Mazara’s strong showing was a sight to see, but the Tigers would ideally like to be at full strength sooner rather than later as a team. As they take on No. 5 Tennessee on the road in their next matchup on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET.