ATLANTA -- On a day when Auburn didn’t play its best offensively, freshman guard Chris Denson did.

Denson, from Shaw High, was the lone offensive bright spot in Auburn’s 69-51 season-ending loss to Georgia in the SEC tournament’s first round Thursday, scoring a career-high 21 points off the bench.

“I let the offense come to me,” Denson said. “Coach always talks about attacking the open gaps, and I attacked and finished. It wasn’t enough, though.”

In the Georgia Dome, which is usually a backdrop for poor shooting, the lefty went 9-for-10 from the field, hitting his only 3-point attempt.

It was a strong finish to a season of learning for the 6-foot-2 guard. One of three signees in head coach Tony Barbee’s first signing class, Denson had his moments, although early playing time was sparse.

“I said it early on that he was one of the least prepared players that I’ve ever coached starting on this level as a freshman,” Barbee said. “He just had no understanding of individual defense, of team defense, of offensive concepts. … But I give him credit because he didn’t hang his head because he wasn’t playing. He understood what I was saying. He took it on to get extra work with the coaches, not only on the floor but in film sessions.”

After scoring 4 total points in 43 minutes during the non-conference portion of the schedule, Denson scored in double figures six times during SEC play.

He averaged 7.1 points and 20.3 minutes in league play, culminating in Tuesday’s 21-point effort, five more than his previous career high.

Although not much of a shooter (he was 4-for-25 from 3-point range this season), Denson has a knack for putting the ball in the basket.

“He’s quick,” forward Kenny Gabriel said. “He can get to the basket and draw fouls on bigs and guards. That’s how he’s gotten to score the ball this year.”

“He showed it again here tonight,” Barbee said, “but he showed it a lot over the course of the last half of the season because he earned that opportunity.”