Nell Fortner was already aware of it, but a reminder about the interesting statistic Auburn acquired after its upset over No. 9 Georgia had her thinking both reflectively and forwardly.

Sunday’s feel-good, 67-53 victory over the reeling Bulldogs gave Auburn its second conference win against one of the nation’s best teams — the other coming three weeks ago at then-No. 11 LSU.

Auburn, which is bogged down near the bottom of a loaded SEC and came into Sunday’s game riding a four-game losing streak, has only one other conference victory to speak of.

“Isn’t that crazy?” Fortner asked. “I think it shows the potential of this team. It’s about consistency. We have to do that night-in and night-out.

“But I like the stat. I’d like to see a few more wins, but it’s nice to know you can compete at the level.”

The Tigers (12-10, 3-6) played their most complete game of the conference season Sunday, as they seized control of the tempo from the instant Georgia point guard Ashley Houts went out with a sprained ankle. Nicolle Thomas’ 3-pointer less than 8 minutes into the first half put Auburn up 15-12 and gave the Tigers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Houts, one of the SEC’s best point guards who can single-handedly dictate the tempo of a game, went out 4 minutes into the first half and didn’t return until the 5-minute mark in the second.

By then, it was far too late for the Bulldogs (18-4, 5-4) to prevent their third consecutive loss, which will likely send them tumbling in today’s Associated Press poll.

“I don’t know if it changed the plan, but it changes how we execute the plan,” Georgia coach Andy Landers said. “There were a lot of times today we had three freshmen out there. Their ability to execute a game plan isn’t nearly as good as your juniors and seniors.”

Auburn’s freshman-heavy lineup had few problems overcoming Thursday’s 85-56 loss at No. 5 Tennessee.

The Tigers stuck to their principles on offense, methodically slowing the game down and getting the ball in as many hands as possible before putting up a shot. The defense had a hand in slowing down the game, too, as Auburn’s zone forced the Bulldogs to settle for a number of mid- to long-range jump shots, the bulk of which clanked off the rim and into Auburn’s hands.

Only five of Auburn’s 25 field goals came without an assist, as the Tigers finished with their second-best total of the season, 20. Point guard Morgan Toles had half of those for a career-high 10.

“She was finding the open person,” said guard Alli Smalley, who finished with a game-high 22 points. “Whether it was inside or outside, they were knocking down shots.”

The Tigers were also knocking Georgia off the blocks.

Jordan Greenleaf spearheaded an offensive rebounding onslaught, grabbing six of the Tigers’ 17. Auburn only outscored the Bulldogs 13-11 on second-chance points, but the intangible effect was certainly a factor.

“They kicked our butts,” Landers said.

“Offensive rebounding is a confidence builder,” Fortner said, “and an energy destroyer for the other team.”

| 737-2561