Dawgs win SEC opener

ATHENS, Ga. — The first Southeastern Conference road game of the season for the Auburn men’s basketball provided a somber reality check for Tigers coach Bruce Pearl, who said it’s time to get back to work on his backcourt. Terry Roberts overcame early foul trouble to match his career high with 26 points, and Georgia made first-year coach

Mike White’s SEC debut with the Bulldogs memorable by beating No. 22 Auburn 76-64 on Wednesday night at Stegeman Coliseum. Roberts and backcourt partner Kario Oquendo, who had 17 points, consistently drove past Auburn guards as the Bulldogs posted a 36-28 advantage in points in the paint. “Layups. Just driving past us,” Pearl said in acknowledging the penetrating success of Georgia guards. “It wasn’t the postup game. … We’ve got to figure out a way to not let people get downhill as easily.” The Tigers had similar matchup problems in their other losses this season to Memphis and Southern California. Auburn (11-3, 1-1 SEC) trailed most of the way at Georgia despite Johni Broome’s 22 points and 12 rebounds. The Tigers couldn’t stage a serious late comeback, pulling no closer than eight points in the final three minutes. Allen Flanigan, with 11 points, was Auburn’s only other scorer in double figures. Auburn’s

Jaylin Williams, who entered averaging 10.3 points, was held to five on 1-for-9 shooting as Georgia (11-3) continued its progress under White, the former Florida coach.

SOCCER

› NEW YORK — The U.S. men’s national soccer team was plunged into public turmoil Wednesday when the family of former team captain Claudio Reyna said it notified the U.S. Soccer Federation of a decades-old incident involving Gregg Berhalter and his wife in response to the coach’s disparagement of Claudio’s son, Gio Reyna, a rising star for the Americans. Berhalter said Tuesday his 1991 behavior in which he kicked the woman who would become his wife was “shameful” and that he was “looking forward to continuing my conversations with U.S. Soccer about the future.” The USSF has commissioned an investigation by an outside law firm, along with the staff review of the team’s performance over the four-year cycle. All of it leaves the program’s leadership uncertain as the run-up begins to the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico. “Obviously this is a not a positive time for soccer in this country and for our men’s national team,” USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone said Wednesday during a news conference. The controversy has become a messy public dispute involving Berhalter; Claudio Reyna, who was the best man at Berhalter’s wedding; Danielle Egan Reyna, a former U.S. women’s team member; Rosalind Santana Berhalter, the coach’s wife and Egan’s college roommate; and Gio Reyna, the 20-year-old midfielder limited to 53 minutes by Berhalter at the World Cup that wrapped up last month in Qatar. For the time being, Anthony Hudson, a member of Berhalter’s staff, will coach the team ahead of exhibitions against Serbia on Jan. 25 and Colombia three days later. USSF sporting director Earnie Stewart, a former teammate of Reyna’s and Berhalter’s, has been delegated by Parlow Cone and the USSF board to make a coaching recommendation. Stewart said that “Berhalter, until the investigation and the review takes place, is still under consideration for the head coach job.”

FOOTBALL

› Dwight Freeney, Darrelle Revis and Joe Thomas are finalists in their first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 15 modern-day players who will be considered for the class of 2023 later this month by the selection committee also include returning finalists Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Ronde Barber, Devin Hester, Torry Holt, Andre Johnson, Zach Thomas, DeMarcus Ware, Reggie Wayne and Patrick Willis. Wednesday’s reveal of finalists included defensive backs Albert Lewis and Darren Woodson making it to this stage for the first time, with Lewis having reached the semifinal stage in 2013 and Woodson getting there six times. A maximum of five modern-day players can be elected for enshrinement this August in Canton, Ohio. The inductees will be announced Feb. 9 at NFL Honors, the prime-time TV program during which The Associated Press reveals its individual award winners for the 2022 season. The committee will also consider Don Coryell in the coaching category and three playes who are senior candidates: Chuck Howley, Joe Klecko and Ken Riley.