ATLANTA (AP) — Keyshawn Hall scored 22 points and No. 21 Auburn took advantage of a respite in its brutal schedule to beat Chattanooga 92-78 on Saturday.
Tahaad Pettiford overcame early foul trouble to finish with 20 points, knocking down five shots from beyond the 3-point stripe. Elyjah Freeman chipped in with 19 points.
Hall also had 11 rebounds and six assists. Auburn dominated on the boards, finishing with a 42-20 rebounding edge.
The Tigers (8-3) had already played four teams in The Associated Press Top 25 when they faced Chattanooga (5-6) in the second game of a college basketball doubleheader at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta.
Auburn struggled to put away the pesky Mocs, who kept the margin in single digits much of the game. Jordan Frison scored 20 points to lead Chattanooga.
The Tigers were coming off a 97-68 blowout loss at top-ranked Arizona, where Pettiford scored 30 points but little else went right for last season's Final Four team.
Auburn, in its first season under coach Steven Pearl, was up just 43-38 at halftime against the Mocs, who kept things close through much of the second half with their sights on a major upset.
But the Tigers were simply too strong down the stretch. Pettiford knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to extend the final margin.
Teddy Washington Jr. contributed 16 points for Chattanooga, but no one on the team had more than four rebounds as the bigger, brawnier Tigers dominated the lane.
Georgia defeated Cincinnati 84-65 in the opening game of the Holiday Hoopsgiving event.
Chattanooga: Visits Bellarmine on Wednesday night.
Auburn: Faces No. 6 Purdue at Indianapolis on Dec. 20.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
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