After its losing streak appeared to be set to add its sixth tally, Auburn found a way to get past Kentucky.
With 0:48 seconds left on the clock, it looked as though the Auburn Tigers were about to end up in the loss column for the sixth time in a row.
Keyshawn Hall turned the ball over, and a Kentucky Wildcats fastbreak was capped off by an Otega Oweh dunk gave them a 72-71 lead that appeared to wrap things up at Neville Arena on Saturday night.
Tahaad Pettiford made two free-throws that brought Auburn (15-12, 6-8 SEC) within a point with 14 seconds left. Kentucky's (17-10, 8-6 SEC) Collin Chandler was called for a foul that gave Auburn the ball on the baseline.
A lay-up attempt frem Kevin Overton was blocked and rebounded by KeShawn Murphy to give the Tigers another try. Murphy missed the tip-in lay-up, but Elyjah Freeman came up with another offensive board.
On the Tigers' third try, Freeman managed to put the ball through the hoop, putting them up 75-74 with 0:01 left. The Wildcats were unable to get a shot off and Auburn came out on top, bringing its five-game skid to an end.
After the Tigers controlled the game for the majority of the first half, Kentucky went on a 7-0 run late to give it a four-point lead to take into the locker room.
The Wildcats led by as many as nine points during the second half, but Auburn rallied to even the score at 53 with 8:51 left to play. The Tigers reclaimed momentum, but as the ending would suggest, it was a battle down the stretch.
Murphy made a bigger impact on the game than just keeping Auburn's chances of winning alive on its final possession. He led the team in scoring with 25 points and dominated the glass with 10 rebounds.
Freeman had 11 points, Hall and Overton had 10 each and Pettiford had nine.
The Tigers return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 24, when they make the trip to Norman, Oklahoma for a matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners (13-13, 3-11 SEC) at Lloyd Noble Center. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT, and ESPNU will carry the television broadcast.