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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- Joe Johnson missed Arkansas' first game against Auburn this season because of the death of his
grandmother. The Tigers (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP) saw plenty of the Razorbacks freshman on Sunday.
Johnson scored 22 points, including a momentum-building
40-footer at the end of the first half, and Arkansas beat Auburn
64-55, the reeling Tigers' fourth straight loss.
|  | | Arkansas' Joe Johnson, who scored a game-high 22 points, shoots over Auburn's Scott Pohlman. |
Johnson's 18 first-half points ended with an on-the-run
one-hander that was good off the glass after time expired for a
34-32 lead.
"I just threw it up and prayed it would go in," Johnson said.
"I'm glad it was answered."
"Joe put on a tremendous show, especially in the first half,"
Auburn coach Cliff Ellis said. "He made a lot of plays. He's just
a tremendous player."
The Razorbacks (15-14, 7-9 Southeastern Conference) protected
the lead throughout the second half. Teddy Gipson scored five
straight points for an 11-point lead and Auburn (21-8, 9-7) never
got closer than six points over the final 11:46.
It was 51-45 when Auburn tried a lob that was intercepted by Larry Satchell. He passed ahead to Brandon Dean, who made a high pass for a dunk by Gipson.
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Razorbacks play Georgia
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- Arkansas earned the No. 3 seed in the
Western Division of the Southeastern Conference by beating Auburn
on Sunday and will play Georgia on Thursday night in the first
round of the SEC tournament in Atlanta.
Georgia (10-19, 3-13) is the No. 6 seed from the Eastern
Division. The Razorbacks (15-15, 7-9) won by 20 at Georgia on Jan. 12.
"It's a new season now," Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson said
Sunday. "We're all 0-0. We've had some unfortunate things happen
this year. We still don't have T.J. Cleveland back, but we hope he
will be back for the tournament. I feel good about this team.
"This will be our first time to play a Thursday game at the SEC
tournament," he said. "It's a late game (9:45 p.m. EST). It will
be awkward. We know there is some basketball left. Don't count us
out. We're not dead yet. Let's go to the tournament and have some
fun and play basketball."
If Arkansas had lost to Auburn, the Razorbacks would have tied
Alabama for third in the division and would have wound up as the
No. 4 seed. Instead, Alabama (13-15, 6-10) is No. 4 and plays South
Carolina (13-16, 5-11) on Thursday.
The Arkansas-Georgia winner plays Kentucky (22-8, 12-4), the No. 2 seed from the East, on Friday night.
The victory over Auburn makes it seem likely that the Razorbacks
will get an invite to the National Invitation Tournament if they
lose in the SEC tournament.
"We are not looking at the NIT," said Razorback Teddy Gipson.
"We hope we can get to the SEC championship game and win."
Auburn (21-8, 9-7) is the No. 2 seed from the West and will play
Friday night against the winner of Florida (23-6, 12-4) and
Mississippi (17-12, 5-11).
"We can't get down," said Auburn's Mack McGadney. "We have to have the right mental attitude because we have the SEC tournament coming up."
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It was 55-49 when Carl Baker and Chris Walker each made one free
throw; 57-51 when Johnson made two free throws with 67 seconds to
play and 59-53 when Walker made one of two free throws with 39
seconds to play. Walker, Arkansas' only senior, scored 15 points.
The loss was Auburn's third in a row since forward Chris Porter
was suspended by the NCAA for contact with an agent.
"The Porter situation is a distraction, but we will be fine,"
Ellis said.
The victory likely earned Arkansas a bid to the NIT. If so, it
would be 14 straight years of postseason play for the Razorbacks.
"The NIT is just a backup plan, but all the guys need more
experience so it is nice to assure ourselves a postseason," Walker
said. "I couldn't ask for a better way to end the regular
reason."
Mack McGadney led Auburn with 19 points and Doc Robinson added
13.
Auburn had one chance for the lead in the second half, but
Robinson missed a 3-pointer when it was 42-40. Alonzo Lane's bank
shot from 6 feet made it 44-40 and Johnson then scored on a jump
stop in the lane.
Gipson started from the left side, blew through the lane and
beat the shot clock with a layup from the right side. Auburn's
Mamadou N'Diaye went over the back of an Arkansas player on an
unsuccessful try for a tip-in and Gipson hit a 3 for the 11-point
lead.
Robinson's 15-footer ended Auburn's nine-minute field goal
drought.
"Teddy Gipson made two big plays, one on a slash to the goal and the other on the alley-oop that looked like it was going over the backboard until he dunked it," Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson said.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Auburn Clubhouse
Arkansas Clubhouse
Porter story at Auburn might get murkier
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