Three-point defense is a point of emphasis for Auburn ahead of road tilt at Georgia

The top matchup to watch Wednesday night will be Auburn’s defense against Georgia’s sharp three-point shooting.

Georgia will welcome the No. 20 Auburn Tigers to Stegeman Coliseum on Wednesday with very few advantages over their guests. But there is one to watch for.

The Bulldogs have connected on 33.9% of its three-point attempts this season, which ranks No. 6 in the SEC. That is one aspect of Georgia’s game that Auburn head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] respects.

“They are making seven-plus (three-pointers) a game,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “They have three or four guys that are really shooting it. They are shooting it well at home. They don’t foul. They do a good job of not sending you to the free throw line a lot.”

Several of Georgia’s leaders in three-point shooting are Jabari Abdur-Rahim and Mardrez McBride, who are shooting 36.4% and 34.8% respectively from beyond-the-arc. Jaylin Ingram is considered a threat as well, although he has only played in seven of Georgia’s 13 games to this point in the season. He has made 9-of-17 from three-point range, with his best game taking place on Nov. 30, when he made 4-of-5 shots in Georgia’s 73-54 win over Hampton.

Although Georgia has found success from three-point territory, stopping long-range shots has been a strong quality of Auburn’s defense this season. According to recent data from TeamRankings.com, Auburn has allowed opponents to succeed on just 26.2% of their three-point shots, which is No. 5 in the country. If Auburn can continue its’ defensive dominance, especially behind the efforts of [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] from the bench, this is a battle that could go Auburn’s way.

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